The Dallas Cowboys parted ways with head coach Mike McCarthy in January after the team failed to make the playoffs last season. A couple of weeks later, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer was named the 10th head coach in franchise history.
The Cowboys’ new head coach has brought a new motivational tactic to Dallas. Cowboys legend Dez Bryant shared his reaction to Schottenheimer’s approach.
Dez Bryant Reacts to Cowboys HC Brian Schottenheimer’s New Locker Room Tactic
Although Schottenheimer has never been a head coach, he understands the significant challenge ahead. He aims to lead the Cowboys to glory and appreciates the opportunity to coach a franchise with such a rich history.
He has a unique strategy to hype up the team in his first season as the head coach. The former Cowboys’ offensive coordinator revealed that he hopes to bring some of the franchise’s storied history to the current roster by having Cowboys greats in the building and wearing their Super Bowl rings daily.
The 51-year-old believes that the more players see Super Bowl rings, the more they will be inspired to win one for themselves. Bryant expressed his feelings about Schottenheimer’s strategy via his X handle.
I respect this!💙⭐️ https://t.co/sCdRsoTPsH
— Dez Bryant (@DezBryant) July 4, 2025
Bryant was drafted by the Cowboys as No. 24 overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. He caught 531 passes for 7,459 yards and 73 touchdowns before cutting ties with the franchise. He earned three Pro Bowl honors and one All-Pro selection during his tenure in Dallas.
The 2023 Cowboys were a top-ranked scoring offense in Schottenheimer’s first year as offensive coordinator, but fell to 21st in 2024 after injuries sidelined Dak Prescott, Zack Martin, and CeeDee Lamb. In Schottenheimer’s 14 seasons as offensive coordinator, it’s the fifth time he’s had a team rank 20th or worse in PPG and the seventh time they’ve ranked in the league’s bottom half.
Schottenheimer has been the offensive coordinator for four franchises throughout 12 seasons: the Cowboys (2023-24), Seattle Seahawks (2018-20), St. Louis Rams (2012-14) and New York Jets (2006-11). He’s coached under McCarthy, Pete Carroll, Jeff Fisher, Rex Ryan and Eric Mangini during that span.
Schottenheimer is the third head coach hired by general manager and owner Jerry Jones without head coaching experience in the NFL or college. The first two hires had mixed results. Jason Garrett achieved four winning seasons and four 8-8 seasons during his nine full seasons as head coach. On the other hand, Dave Campo recorded three consecutive 5-11 seasons.
Schottenheimer has made a concerted effort to change Dallas’s culture. The Cowboys have not won the Super Bowl since 1995, marking their last appearance in the NFC Championship Game. While time will tell if that pays off on the field, he appears to have already gained the locker room’s respect.