Brian Schottenheimer isn’t just preaching culture and relationships — he’s living them out, day after day. And his latest quote on the subject, issued Tuesday at The Star to launch this mandatory minicamp, further exemplifies that.
“Guys getting married, guys having babies, guys graduating… we try to celebrate all those things, and I actually compete every day with my Chief of Staff, Tyler Boyles, to make sure we don’t miss anything because that matters,'' the first-year head coach said. "If somebody has a big event and we don’t celebrate them, then shame on me for not doing that.”
And so far? No "shame.''
This take aligns with everything we’ve seen from Schottenheimer this offseason. He told us half his day in the offseason is spent calling every single player — just to check in. He surprised Osa Odighizuwa’s family with champagne the night of his extension and was the first to call and congratulate him.
Micah Parsons just this past weekend called Schottenheimer at night just to playfully say goodnight.
That’s not normal coach-player interaction — that’s family-level trust.
Even the Whataburger incident — where Schottenheimer picked up the tab for the entire staff from the sales team, to the marketing team, to the pro shop... every behind the scenes associate at The Star in Frisco was recognized and felt seen by Schotty that day. Lunch was on him, but it was never about the food.
It was about bonding. About buying in. And about relationships.
Competing and connecting — those are Schottenheimer’s true systems. And he’s not faking it. He’s not "manufacturing culture.'' He’s building it in real time, brick by brick, relationship by relationship.
This is what makes players run through walls.
Because this kind of leadership doesn’t expire with a scheme. It scales. And so far, it's more than talk.
Schotty is walking the walk.