Cowboys plan internal interview with Schottenheimer

The Dallas Cowboys are set to interview Brian Schottenheimer, their offensive coordinator, in the search to replace former coach Mike McCarthy, a person with direct knowledge of the plan said Tuesday.

Schottenheimer would be the first known internal candidate to interview for the head coaching job. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no planned interviews were being announced.

The first three formal interviews were external candidates. They were Philadelphia offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, who was Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott’s play-caller for four seasons, and former NFL head coaches Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier.

McCarthy and the Cowboys parted ways last week after his initial five-year contract with the club expired.

McCarthy interviewed with Chicago last week, but the Bears reached a deal Monday for Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to be their next coach, a person with knowledge of that agreement told the AP.

The 51-year-old Schottenheimer, son of the late NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer, joined the Dallas staff as a consultant in 2022 and held the offensive coordinator title the past two seasons while McCarthy was the play-caller. McCarthy took over those duties in 2023 when the Cowboys and Moore mutually parted ways.

McCarthy’s first NFL coaching job was on Marty Schottenheimer’s Kansas City staff in 1993.

The younger Schottenheimer cultivated a strong relationship with Prescott the past two seasons and would be a familiar face for a franchise QB going into the first year of a $240 million, four-year contract. It’s the first NFL contract to average $60 million per season.

Brian Schottenheimer called plays as the offensive coordinator with the New York Jets, St. Louis Rams and Seattle. His 12 seasons over those three stints were from 2006-2020.

Prescott had one of the best seasons of his career in his first year with the McCarthy-Schottenheimer combination, but the offense slumped early this season even before Prescott’s season-ending hamstring injury. Dallas finished 7-10 to end a three-year run of 12-5 teams that qualified for the playoffs.