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If you told Dallas Cowboys fans that their team would let Mike McCarthy leave and then pick Brian Schottenheimer as the new head coach, they might think you’re joking. But that’s exactly what happened. Late on Friday night, the Cowboys announced that Schottenheimer got the top job.
The Cowboys took their time finding a new head coach. They interviewed folks like Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier, even thought about Deion Sanders. But in the end, they decided to stick with someone they already knew—Schottenheimer. There was also some talk about Jason Witten, a former player, being considered early on after McCarthy’s contract ended.
Jerry Jones, the owner of the Cowboys, believed Witten could be a great head coach despite his lack of experience. He even wanted McCarthy to include Witten as an “heir apparent” on the coaching staff, but Witten wasn’t interested, according to Jane Slater from NFL Network. Fans worried Witten might join Schottenheimer’s team, but it seems that’s not happening.
A source informed tells me the #Cowboys have not completed the process of hiring their defensive coordinator. Matt Eberflus is certainly someone held in high regard and certainly part of the consideration however. Not part of their considerations, according to two sources, Jason…
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) January 25, 2025
Even though Jerry Jones has kept in touch with Witten recently, Slater wrote that Witten joining the coaching staff hasn’t really been discussed. Witten is a legendary Cowboy, known for his reliable performance and 11 Pro Bowl nominations. However, he lacks professional coaching experience. Currently, he’s coaching at Liberty Christian School in Texas, where he’s doing pretty well with two state championships.
As for Schottenheimer, he’s been an assistant coach since 1997 and has worked with several teams. In Dallas, he was the offensive coordinator but didn’t call plays—that was McCarthy’s job. Now he’s the head coach and needs to build his own team. Former Bears head coach Matt Eberflus is a strong candidate for defensive coordinator.
So, don’t expect to see Witten coaching for the Cowboys anytime soon.