FRISCO, Texas — Brian Schottenheimer thought he was going to take the year off from coaching.
His experience as passing game coordinator with the 2021 Jacksonville Jaguars, going through the mess of Urban Meyer’s disastrous 13-game span, had him beaten down. Before that season, his father, Marty, passed away. He was a season removed from a successful three-year run as the Seattle Seahawks‘ offensive coordinator with quarterback Russell Wilson putting up his best numbers, but he and coach Pete Carroll agreed to part ways.
A coach at the NFL and college level since 1997, Schottenheimer, then 48, was ready for a break, passing on some NFL assistant coach opportunities.
“I kind of lost a little bit of the love of it, I think,” Schottenheimer said. “I think I was — not in a dark spot because people have way darker days than I have — but I wanted to reconnect with my family a little bit, and so I did think about potentially taking the year.”
But then came a call from then-Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, who was in Schottenheimer’s wedding and had worked with him on his dad’s staff when he was head coach of the Chiefs. McCarthy was looking to fill a consultant spot on his staff with Ben McAdoo leaving to join the Carolina Panthers.
“When the opportunity came to stay involved, in the building and a special place like this for a guy like Mike McCarthy that I love and care about, under a guy like Mike and [defensive coordinator] Dan Quinn and people like that, to come down here and be a part of the Cowboys,” Schottenheimer said, “it was just something that the more I thought about it and the more Mike and I kind of talked about it throughout the spring, it made too much sense.”
Not only did it reunite Schottenheimer and McCarthy, it reunited Schottenheimer and Quinn, who had been assistant coaches on Eric Mangini’s staff with the New York Jets in 2007 and 2008.
On Sunday, Schottenheimer and Quinn will coach against each other when the Cowboys (2-3-1) take on the Washington Commanders (3-3) at AT&T Stadium in a pivotal NFC East matchup (4:25 p.m. ET, Fox).
“What I had Brian do: ‘I want you to be that person taking on that game.’ So if you were in Tampa, ‘I want you to be [offensive coordinator] Byron Leftwich,'” Quinn said. “Not how you would attack, but how they would.”
Schottenheimer was in the defensive meetings that season to know Quinn’s defensive scheme and understand what Quinn was asking each player. Then he would try to punch holes in the defense.
“I would recommend it to any young coach if you have a chance, and you’re an offensive guy, go to defense for a year and vice versa,” Schottenheimer said. “Why? You learn so much about what motivates them in terms of is it based off of personnel, the calls, how do they adjust formations on defense?”
On Mondays after team meetings, they would get together for 90 minutes with Schottenheimer playing the opposing team’s offense.
“We’d just go through it,” Quinn said. “So we grew a lot in our relationship in that time. Like we’d put the tape up, most of it is on that and then hit pause and you’re asking other questions and other thoughts. It was a really good time.”
The Cowboys finished with the 12th-ranked defense in 2022. Ten times, they allowed 20 or fewer points. They led the NFL in takeaways (33) for the second straight year and scored three defensive touchdowns.
But it was when the tape stopped playing that Schottenheimer remembers most.
“He and I were usually two of the last ones to leave, and we’d talk a lot just about life, man. And we’d talk about leadership. We’d talk about chemistry. We’d talk about culture,” Schottenheimer said. “I think we both come from that [coaching] tree where that’s important to us. He’s an elite leader. He’s an incredible connector.
“I do remember him saying to me a lot, like Pete [Carroll], ‘Hey, take advantage of this time where you don’t really have the stress and the pressure of being the guy, the playcaller, the whatever, and just be open-minded, man. Like be open-brained to what’s going on in the league.’ So a dear, dear friend. A guy that I talk to quite a bit. Excited to see him.”
And Quinn will be excited to see Schottenheimer.
“I was not surprised that he was the selection because they had him in the building and knew who he was, what he stood for. You saw the connection between him and [QB Dak Prescott]. It was just so easy in many ways,” Quinn said. “And he’s got great leadership about him. Other than when we play, I’m definitely pulling for him.”
It’s the same for Schottenheimer.
And without the year as the consultant, working side by side with Quinn, Schottenheimer doesn’t think he would be where he is now.
“I think being around my family and reconnecting, they reminded me that that’s who I am,” Schottenheimer said. “I’m a football coach. I’m a leader. I’m a man that loves to be on the grass and loves to be in meeting rooms, and it was something that was truly, that’s what I needed. I needed to kind of take more of a back seat to what was going on but still be involved and reconnect with some of my true beliefs in what I love and what I truly wanted to do as a coach.
“I wouldn’t change it for the world because it really helped me reconnect with my family, but also with my love for this game and what I do, and I think truly it helped me be prepared for this moment.”
ESPN Commanders reporter John Keim contributed to this report.
