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Cowboys legend Michael Irvin criticizes team’s head coach pick: ‘We lost an opportunity here’

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The Dallas Cowboys made the stunning decision to hire offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer as the team’s head coach after the team split from Mike McCarthy and rumors swirled about Deion Sanders’ interest in the job.

Schottenheimer is the son of the legendary Marty Schottenheimer and spent the last two seasons as Dallas’ offensive coordinator under McCarthy. He was also the offensive coordinator for the New York Jets from 2006 to 2011, the St. Louis Rams from 2012 to 2014 and the Seattle Seahawks from 2018 to 2020. The Cowboys will be the first team he will serve as head coach.

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Michael Irvin is a three-time Super Bowl champion and played in five Pro Bowls in his NFL career with the Dallas Cowboys. (IMAGN)

Not everyone was thrilled with team owner Jerry Jones’ decision on Schottenheimer. Fans made their opinions known on social media.

Cowboys legend and Hall of Famer Michael Irvin was unhappy as well.

“Here’s my issue. We lost an opportunity here. I don’t know what happened with coach Schottenheimer and the Cowboys, but Jerry is a shrewd, shrewd businessman, and this opportunity, I’m shocked he did not see. I was pushing for Deion Sanders to be the next head coach, and I still stand 10 toes down on that push,” he said in a video posted to his YouTube channel.

He pointed to the NFC Championship being between two NFC East teams – the Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders.

“Let me break it down,” he said. “We have two NFC East teams in the NFC Championship game being played tomorrow. All eyes on them. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders. Our enemies on all fronts. And they’re in a position that we haven’t held in 30 f—ing years. The longest drought by any NFC East team, 30 years…. You bring in someone who’s already inside for head coach. You lose things there that you can’t grab back that I’m worried about.”

Irvin expressed concerns about the Cowboys losing their standing in the conference.

NFL Hall of Fame member Michael Irvin during the game between the Miami Hurricanes and the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome in Syracuse, New York, Nov. 30, 2024. (Rich Barnes-Imagn Images)

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“We’re losing ground in the NFC…. It was time to bring somebody in here that could shake things up and grab this last leg of Cowboys nation,” he added. “If we’ve got 30 years right now, and life expectancy is 100 years, that means by math one third of Cowboys Nation has never felt or lived the glory of a championship story. Don’t even know about it. How the hell can they pass something down when they don’t even know about it?

“Worse yet, that generation has seen total domination from a team named the Kansas City Chiefs, who in that span is running up on winning three in a row. So not only are you losing football games over here and opportunities over here and divisions over here, you’re about to get our moniker snatched off our backs.”

It’s unclear how serious the talks between the Cowboys and Sanders were. It gained interest among fans, but Sanders was clear about his love for the Colorado football program.

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For now, Sanders stays in college and Dallas embarks on a new journey with a new coach.

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January 26, 2025
Fans roast Cowboys for hiring Brian Schottenheimer as next head coach: ‘Clown show’

The Dallas Cowboys hired Brian Schottenheimer, their offensive coordinator, as the team’s next head coach, announcing the move on Friday with a Jerry Jones message attached to it.

“Brian Schottenheimer is known as a career assistant,” Jones said, per ESPN. “He ain’t Brian no more. He is now known as the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.”

The hire comes at a shock to some and a surprise to many, as the Cowboys’ process this offseason has been a head-scratcher.

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Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer of the Dallas Cowboys during the NFL game against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium on September 24, 2023, in Glendale, Arizona. The Cardinals defeated the Cowboys 28-16. (Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Cowboys fans voiced their opinions on social media, and they weren’t too happy with their team’s choice.

“Hiring Brian Schottenheimer as head coach without even trying to talk to Ben Johnson, Aaron Glenn or other top candidates is 1000% the same thing as not calling Derrick Henry and just signing Zeke,” one fan said on X. “Same. Exact. Thing.”

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To understand where Cowboys fans may be coming from, one must understand the odd process the team went through since the offseason began.

First, the dilemma for Jones and the rest of the organization was what to do with Mike McCarthy, the veteran head coach who went 7-10 on the final year of his deal without quarterback Dak Prescott for a good chunk of the season.

Players like Prescott and others publicly voiced their support for McCarthy, but the Cowboys moved on.

In doing so, though, they were already behind the 8 ball, as other head coach-needy squads were already out conducting interviews and getting their candidates in order.

When Dallas got their list together, it was an interesting group. Robert Saleh, the ex-New York Jets head coach who was fired midseason in 2024, came in despite not being high on anyone’s list except for the Jacksonville Jaguars. He eventually returned to the Bay Area to assume his old job as defensive coordinator under Kyle Shanahan.

Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer looks on prior to the game against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium on November 28, 2024, in Arlington, Texas. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

There was also Pete Carroll, who ended up returning to the NFL by taking the Las Vegas Raiders job. Kellen Moore, the former Cowboys offensive coordinator who is now with the Eagles, came in for an interview, as did Leslie Frazier, who serves as assistant head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

While these candidates all have their credentials, fans were not happy that top candidates like the ones mentioned above, who have all landed elsewhere, never came into the building.

Fox Sports’ David Helman broke down the situation from a Cowboys process perspective.

“We don’t know Brian Schottenheimer will be a failure any more than we know Ben Johnson will be a success,” he posted on X. “Coaching hires are weird & hard to predict.

“We do know that it REEKS of bad process to fart around for eight days with a head coach who needs a new contract, fail to retain him after missing an interview window for coveted candidates, bring in two former head coaches who are not in high demand, one outside assistant you already have a relationship with and *then* choose the guy down the hall who a) is not drawing interest elsewhere b) has not been a head coach c) has not called plays for you and d) has had mixed results when he has called an offense in the past.”

Finally, some feel Schottenheimer is similar to Jason Garrett, who took over the job after Wade Phillips, whom he worked under, was fired.

Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer during training camp at the River Ridge Fields. (Kirby Lee-USA Today Sports)

“Quick, easy, CHEAP, and the Jones’ retain control just the way they like it,” one disgruntled fan wrote. “This team doesn’t want to win. It’s about attention. It’s about egos. Cowboys fans are exhausted with this clown show.”

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Schottenheimer joined McCarthy’s Cowboys staff in 2022 as a coaching analyst before replacing Moore as offensive coordinator in 2023. His first year in the position was also Prescott’s best season, as the team went on to win the NFC East before flopping in the Wild Card Round to the Green Bay Packers. The team had the fifth-ranked offense that season.

Schottenheimer, the son of decorated NFL head coach Marty Schottenheimer, has almost three decades worth of coaching under his belt, spending time with the Jets, Rams and Seahawks before joining the Cowboys. He served in an offensive coordinator role for each of those teams.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

January 25, 2025
Cowboys hire Brian Shottenheimer as next head coach

The Dallas Cowboys are hiring offensive coordinator Brian Shottenheimer as the team’s next head coach, the team announced Friday.

Shottenheimer will take over as the team’s head coach after two seasons as the team’s offensive coordinator, replacing Mike McCarthy, who agreed to part ways with the team after a disappointing 7-10 season.

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Since the Cowboys parted ways with McCarthy a week after the season ended, the organization missed out on the chance to interview candidates like Mike Vrabel, Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn earlier in the process.

Shottenheimer joined the organization in 2022 as a coaching analyst, before replacing Kellen Moore as offensive coordinator in 2023. Shottenheimer’s first year as offensive coordinator coincided with quarterback Dak Prescott’s best season, as the team won the NFC East and had the fifth-ranked offense in the entire league.

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However, 2024 was a different story. The team finished 16th in total offense after Prescott suffered a season-ending injury.

Still, Shottenheimer’s work as offensive coordinator was enough to prompt Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to choose him as head coach, bypassing other potential options including Deion Sanders and Jason Witten.

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Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer looks on prior to the game against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium on November 28, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)

Shottenheimer, 51, brings nearly three decades of experience as an offensive assistant coach to the table. He served as an offensive coordinator for a few other teams before joining the Cowboys in 2022, working in that role for the Jets (2006-11), Rams (2012-14) and Seahawks (2018-20).

Schottenheimer is also the son of decorated former NFL head coach Marty Schottenheimer. The elder Schottenheimer was a head coach for four teams, recording the ninth-most wins (205) for a coach in NFL history.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.

January 25, 2025