The Dallas Cowboys conducted an internal interview with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer on Tuesday night as part of their search to find a replacement for former head coach Mike McCarthy.
Schottenheimer is the first known internal candidate to interview for the head coaching position.
The 51-year-old Schottenheimer, son of the late NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer, joined the Cowboys in 2022 as a consultant. He was later given the offensive coordinator role, working alongside McCarthy, who called the plays for the team over the last two seasons.
McCarthy took over the play-calling duties in 2023 after the Cowboys and Kellen Moore parted ways. Moore, who is now the offensive coordinator for the Philadelphia Eagles, is one of three external candidates the Cowboys have interviewed for the head coaching role.
The other external candidates are former NFL head coaches Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier. Moore served as the play-caller for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott from 2019 to 2022.
McCarthy and the Cowboys parted ways last week after his original five-year contract expired. McCarthy interviewed for the head coaching position with the Chicago Bears, but the Bears decided to hire Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson instead.
McCarthy’s first coaching job in the NFL was on Marty Schottenheimer’s Kansas City staff in 1993.
Schottenheimer has developed a strong relationship with Prescott over the past two seasons and would be a familiar face for the quarterback, who is entering the first year of a $240 million, four-year extension. This contract is the first in NFL history to average $60 million per season.
Brian Schottenheimer has experience calling plays as an offensive coordinator with the New York Jets, St. Louis Rams, and Seattle Seahawks. His 12-season career as a coordinator spanned from 2006 to 2020.
Prescott had one of his best seasons under McCarthy and Schottenheimer in 2022, but the offense struggled early this season, even before Prescott suffered a season-ending hamstring injury. Dallas finished with a 7-10 record, ending a three-year stretch of 12-5 seasons that included playoff appearances.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones had informal talks with Colorado coach Deion Sanders. Sanders, a Pro Football Hall of Fame cornerback, played five seasons for the Cowboys and was a key player in helping the team win their last Super Bowl at the end of the 1995 season.
