The Dallas Cowboys fanbase is still not totally recovered from the initial shock that came with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, fresh off a 7-10 season in which he did not call plays, being named as the head coach following the firing of Mike McCarthy. On merit, this move doesn't make a ton of sense.
However, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Jerry Jones' stunning move might not actually be as unpredictable and destructive as it may seem on the outside. To hear Breer say it, Schottenheimer getting the chance to run his own show was a long time coming due to how much respect he has within the league.
"Brian Schottenheimer is honestly one of the most well-liked coaches in the NFL," Breer said. "He’s affable, a connector, and 100% projects as a guy who could be a better head coach than he was a coordinator because of his natural leadership qualities."
Schottenheimer might have many of the qualities that teams want to see when hiring their new coach, but he likely is not going to win over what has become a very jaded fanbase unless he starts piling up the wins in exceedingly short order.
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer has major respect within the NFL
Schottenheimer comes from good coaching stock, as he is the son of legendary former Chiefs and Browns head coach Marty Schottenheimer. Brian has certainly put in his dues as an assistant, as he has more than 20 years of NFL experience in various offensive roles under his belt.
However, Schottenheimer has come under fire for some disappointing results when he is given more responsibility, particularly when it comes to creating explosive passing attacks.
Schotty's best run as a play-calling offensive coordinator came with the New York Jets in the early Rex Ryan days, and even then, he was ripped often for a boring aerial attack.
Read more:It only took one catch for George Pickens to electrify Cowboys fans at OTAs
Schottenheimer will likely try to air it out with Dak Prescott under center. However, with Schottenheimer himself calling plays instead of newly hired offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, it's fair for Cowboys fans to have some serious skepticism about the direction the offense is going in.
Schottenheimer might be an exceedingly nice guy, and he may have enough insight to carry him between jobs in the NFL. However, being a head coach is a totally different animal, and the expectation from Cowboys fans is that the enormity of this job could swallow him up.