Brian Schottenheimer
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Brian Schottenheimer kept it real when discussing the Cowboys' new look coaching staff
The Dallas Cowboys are coming off a 2025 campaign that was a bit of a mess. With a first-year head coach, Brian Schottenheimer, leading the charge, the Cowboys more or less blew up their season when they traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers right before Week 1. The defense never recovered from his sudden departure, and Dallas missed the playoffs.
As he prepares to enter his second year with the team, Schottenheimer has revamped his coaching staff in an effort to help his team get back on track. At first glance, this group skews on the younger side of things, but it’s clear that Schottenheimer feels his new-look staff features the right collection of leaders who will be able to help the Cowboys return to the playoffs.
Brian Schottenheimer Dishes on New-Look Coaching Staff
Schottenheimer dealt with an unprecedented level of chaos and drama during his first year in charge of the Cowboys, which understandably made his job a little bit more difficult than initially expected. And yet, when all was said and done, it was tough to ignore the fact that the team failed to meet expectations under his lead.
Early in the offseason, Schottenheimer has made it abundantly clear that he is not OK with how last year unfolded. He quickly fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus and eventually hired former Philadelphia Eagles defensive passing game coordinator and defensive back coach Christian Parker to come in and replace him, with the majority of the defensive staff also getting replaced.
The noticeable trend with these hires is that many of the guys Schottenheimer has brought to town are very young. In some cases, that lack of experience may present some issues for Schottenheimer and the rest of the coaching staff, but that doesn’t appear to be something he is all that worried about.
“No, I don’t think so at all,” Schottenheimer said when asked if he was concerned about the youth of the Cowboys’ new coaching staff. “I think six of the nine guys we hired on defense have NFL experience. I go back to two things: energy and connection. I can see the excitement of our players … The guys are excited. They’re excited about Christian and the staff that we’ve put together.”
Cowboys Still Have Quite a Bit of Work to Do This Offseason
Brian Schottenheimer head coach Dallas Cowboys
GettyEAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY – JANUARY 04: Head coach Brian Schottenheimer of the Dallas Cowboys looks on during the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium on January 04, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The New York Giants won 34-17. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images)
While filling out the coaching staff was the first big item on Schottenheimer’s offseason to-do list, the work has only just begun for him. Simply put, the Cowboys have a lot of holes on their roster that need to be filled, and they have several of their own players (chief among them being wide receiver George Pickens) that they would ideally like to sign to new deals.
A coaching staff is only as good as the group of players it coaches, so while there are high hopes surrounding this group, it won’t matter if they don’t have a solid cast of characters at their disposal. The makeup of Schottenheimer’s new coaching staff is certainly important, but the real work will come when the team begins revamping its roster.