The Dallas Cowboys took a bold gamble in naming Brian Schottenheimer head coach for the 2025 season. With zero prior head-coaching experience, his appointment has been under intense scrutiny-and now, a ranking lists him among the worst in the NFL.
As the preseason looms, CBS Sports analyst Cody Benjamin released his annual ranking of all 32 NFL head coaches. For Cowboys fans, it wasn’t good news: Schottenheimer landed at No. 31, narrowly edging out Tennessee’s Brian Callahan.
“To say Schottenheimer’s promotion after Mike McCarthy‘s exit was an anticlimactic surprise would be an understatement,” wrote Benjamin.
“Schottenheimer’s name may be bigger than his résumé, but this man first held a coordinator role back in 2006-it’s not like he’s totally lacking NFL chops.”
Not everyone agrees. Athlon Sports’ Mike Fisher stepped in to defend the Cowboys’ new helmsman.
Why did Schottenheimer rank so low?
Fisher cautioned that preseason rankings rely on arbitrary and subjective metrics. He pointed out that while Benjamin did mention some positives, his final placement contradicts them.
“It’s pure speculation-or worse,” Fisher wrote. “But we wonder: Out of the other head coaches with zero experience-Kellen Moore (No. 29), Aaron Glenn (28), Liam Coen (26), and Ben Johnson (24)-what makes them ‘better’ head coaches than Schottenheimer?”
All four have enjoyed success as coordinators, Fisher noted, but the Cowboys HC, now 51, has spent decades in similar roles. For all five men, the 2025 season marks their first time in the head-coaching spotlight.
Locker room loyalty: Cowboys rally around Schottenheimer
The Cowboys arrived at training camp in Oxnard, California, and will hit the field Tuesday. Fisher offered a promising glimpse behind the scenes:
“The vibe, the energy, and the evidence of buy-in from the locker room is palpable. The Schottenheimer ship is being rowed in the right direction.”
Whether he’s the right captain to steer Dallas back to the Super Bowl for the first time in 30 years remains to be seen. One thing’s clear: Schottenheimer’s every move will be watched-and debated.
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