The Dallas Cowboys head coaching search may be winding down.
According to reports from NFL insider Ian Rapoport, the Cowboys are planning a second interview on Wednesday with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer for their head coaching vacancy.
The Cowboys reportedly spent four hours in their initial interview with Schottenheimer on Monday.
By scheduling a second interview with Schottenheimer, the Cowboys are signaling that they are closing in on hiring the 51-year-old, after spending two years under former head coach Mike McCarthy as the offensive coordinator.
If the Cowboys indeed elect to elevate Schottenheimer, he would become the 10th head coach in franchise history, and just the third to be hired without any previous head coaching experience, joining Tom Landry, Dave Campo and Jason Garrett.
That said, Schottenheimer has spent 27 years in the coaching industry, with 24 of those years coming at the NFL level. He has also spent 14 years as an NFL offensive coordinator, including the last two seasons with Dallas under McCarthy.
In 14 years as an offensive coordinator, Schottenheimer’s offenses only ranked in the top 10 in total offense twice and were only top 10 in scoring five times. One of those years was in 2023 with the Cowboys, in which McCarthy was the one calling plays, with Dallas ranking fifth in total offense and first in scoring.
After the tremendous 2023 campaign, the Cowboys ranked 17th in total offense and 21st in scoring offense in 2024. Granted, Dallas also spent half the season without starting quarterback Dak Prescott.
