Brian Schottenheimer was named the 10th head coach of the ÃÛÌÒTV on Jan. 24, 2025 after two seasons as the team's offensive coordinator.
Over Schottenheimer's two seasons as the steward of the Cowboys offense, Dallas ranked second in completions (826), third in pass attempts (1,251) and sixth in big pass plays (25-plus yards, 69), points-per-game (25.3) and total first downs (712) while also finishing with the seventh-lowest sack percentage on passing plays (5.9%).
The Cowboys battled through a littany of injuries throughout the 2024 season, including injuries to key offensive cogs Dak Prescott (nine games missed due to injury), Zack Martin (seven), CeeDee Lamb (two) and Jake Ferguson (three). Despite those obstacles, Dallas had several players reach career milestones. Rico Dowdle eclipsed 1,000 yards for the first time in his career (1,079), becoming the first undrafted player in franchise history to reach the milestone. CeeDee Lamb also completed a standout season for the club, earning Pro Bowl honors and a second-team All-Pro nod after tallying 100 receptions for the third consecutive season to join Brandon Marshall and Michael Thomas as the only three players in NFL history with 100 catches in three of their first five NFL campaigns. Tyler Smith also earned a Pro Bowl berth after holding the fort for an offensive line that ranked ninth in sack percentage on the year (5.6%).
In his first year as the Cowboys offensive coordinator, Dallas led the league in scoring offense (29.9 points-per-game), ranked fifth in total offense (371.6 yards-per-game) and third in passing yards-per-game (258.6), all higher averages than 2022. Under Schottenheimer, Dallas scored 509 total points in 2023, the second-most points scored in a season in franchise history. Dallas also led the league with five 40-point games, tied for the most such games in team history. Schottenheimer, along with McCarthy, emphasized complementary football, as Dallas' 16 giveaways tied for the second-fewest in the league in 2023 and were the third-fewest turnovers in a season in the club's 63-year history. Schottenheimer, who primarily worked with Scott Tolzien and the quarterbacks in practice, assisted Prescott to a career season. Prescott led the NFL with 36 touchdown passes and totaled career-highs in completion percentage (69.5%) and passer rating (105.9) while finishing second in the league MVP voting at NFL Honors.
Schottenheimer, a veteran coach with 25 years of NFL coaching experience and 15 years as an offensive coordinator at the pro level, previously served as a consultant for the Cowboys throughout the 2022 season, studying future opponents and assisting both the offensive and defensive units with game planning and self-scouting.
Before joining Dallas, Schottenheimer was the passing game coordinator for Jacksonville during the 2021 season, assisting with the Jaguars No. 1 overall selection, Trevor Lawrence, who finished his rookie season with a single-season team rookie record 3,641 passing yards on a rookie record 359 completions.
Previously, Schottenheimer spent three seasons (2018-20) as the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator, in which he helped lead the Seahawks to three consecutive postseason appearances. Over those three seasons, Seattle ranked third in touchdown passes (106), passer rating (106.8) and rushing yards-per-game (140.2), second in big play rush percentage (10-plus yards, 14.0%) and sixth in points-per-game (26.9).
In 2020 the team set franchise records for points scored (459) and points-per-game (28.7), while Russell Wilson marked his career milestones in touchdowns (40) and completion percentage (68.8) en route to his seventh Pro Bowl.
Additionally, Schottenheimer served as the quarterbacks coach for the Indianapolis Colts from 2016-17, working with Pro Bowl passer Andrew Luck, who established a then single-season career-high in completion percentage (63.5) and finished the season ranked eighth in passing yards (4,240), fifth in passing touchdowns (31) and ninth in passer rating (96.4).
Schottenheimer served as the offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach at Georgia in 2015 when the Bulldogs totaled 4,904 yards of offense and averaged 190.4 rush yards-per-game behind the backfield tandem of Sony Michel (1,161) and Nick Chubb (747), the latter of whom led all Division I players with 8.1 yards-per-rush on the year.
Prior to his return to the collegiate ranks, Schottenheimer spent three seasons as the offensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams (2012-14). The Rams tallied 38 touchdowns in 2013, which was then the most in a single season for the franchise since 2006 when they reached the endzone 39 times. Under Schottenheimer, Zac Stacy rushed for 973 yards - the fourth-most rushing yards in franchise history by a rookie - while Jared Cook set the Rams then single-season record for receiving yards by a tight end (671).
Schottenheimer spent six seasons as the New York Jets offensive coordinator (2006-11), including assembling an offense that helped the Jets earn back-to-back appearances in the AFC Championship Game from 2009-10 while also leading the NFL in rushing (160.3 yards-per-game). During those two seasons, Schottenheimer tutored quarterback Mark Sanchez, who joined Ben Roethlisberger as the only two quarterbacks in NFL history to reach the conference championship in their first two seasons in the league.
In four seasons with San Diego as the quarterbacks coach (2002-05), Schottenheimer helped Drew Brees become the NFL Comeback Player of the Year and earn Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his career after throwing 27 touchdown passes and finishing third in the NFL in passer rating in 2004.
Prior to San Diego, Schottenheimer worked for his father, Marty, in Washington and Kansas City. He was an offensive assistant with the Chiefs in 1998 and was the quarterbacks coach during his lone season with Washington in 2001.
In between those two stops, Schottenheimer moved to the collegiate level, overseeing tight ends at Southern California in 2000 and wide receivers at Syracuse in 1999.
Schottenheimer got his start as an offensive assistant under Dick Vermeil with the St. Louis Rams in 1997.
As a player, Schottenheimer earned three letters as a quarterback at the University of Florida from 1994-96, where he played under Steve Spurrier and backed up Heisman Trophy winner Danny Wuerffel during the Gators 1996 National Championship season. His career began at the University of Kansas where he played one season in 1992 before transferring to Florida.
Schottenheimer and his wife, Gemmi, have a son, Sutton, and a daughter, Savannah.
