Some may struggle to call it “revamped,” given Brian Schottenheimer’s previous role in Dallas, but the 2025 Cowboys coaching staff is certainly bringing some juice to town.
The Mike McCarthy era brought regular season success, and postseason failures; the Super Bowl XLV champion had a 49-35 record in the regular season, and was just 1-3 in the playoffs. You don’t need me to tell you that’s bad.
Dallas could have easily stuck with McCarthy, either with a one-year extension or a longer commitment, but the two sides seemed ready to break-up.
There are still familiar faces from his tenure, with Schottenheimer as the most poignant example, but the new additions and returning members have been able to quickly sway the narrative toward optimism.
They may be new, but let’s talk about why this Cowboys coaching staff could be the catalyst to success in 2025.
Brian Schottenheimer: New Energy At The Top
“Schotty” was not the fanbase’s favorite choice to start, but he has been slowly earning their respect as the offseason has dragged on. He is flat-out bringing a different kind of energy to the organization.
Whether it be at a press conference or small moments with his players, the 51-year-old former coordinator is clearly giving this job his best shot.
Aside from the rhetoric shift with Schottenheimer and his personal connection to the guys, he’ll also be tasked with turning around and freshening up the offense.
While he was the offensive coordinator last season, it’s still fair to say that it was McCarthy’s unit; thanks to a slew of injuries and mishaps, that unit failed to live up to expectations.
Dak Prescott’s health may be the most important thing for Schottenheimer’s year-one success, but if QB1 is out there, it will be on this new coach’s shoulders to elevate both Prescott and the rest of the offense to new heights.
If the energy he’s bringing is indicative of anything, this might be a fun year.
Klayton Adams & Conor Riley: Hard-Nosed Identity Up Front
While everybody has focused on Schottenheimer and the defensive hires, which we’ll get into momentarily, the incoming offensive leaders could be the thing that makes this Cowboys coaching staff a winner.
The team hired Klayton Adams, the up-and-coming offensive line coach from the Arizona Cardinals, as the offensive coordinator. His identity is rooted in hard-nosed, ground and pound football.
After that, they swayed Kansas State offensive line coach, Conor Riley, to leave college for the pros. He’s garnered a great reputation for coaching up the trenches.
These two combined, alongside guys like running backs coach Derrick Foster, and tight ends coach Lunda Wells, are the best examples yet that this might be an organizational shift towards a new, tougher identity.
Dallas may not have the monster running back yet, but they are certainly recommitting to taking pressure off Prescott, and the running game.
Matt Eberflus: Experience, Grit Leading The Defense
We can’t talk about this new staff without talking about the biggest name on it: former Chicago Bears top dog, Matt Eberflus.
“Flus,” as he’s been called throughout his long coaching career, was a defensive assistant in Dallas before rising through the ranks to become a defensive coordinator, and eventually the head coach in the Windy City.
That tenure was rocky, but his skills on defense cannot be questioned.
He is one of the most respected defensive coaches in the game, and after an up-and-down year under Mike Zimmer, it feels good to have a long-term answer at defensive coordinator.
You can bank on Eberflus bringing the grit and toughness to the defense that they’ve been lacking; it doesn’t mean they’ll be perfect, but they will bring the energy.
Eberflus is just one aspect of a much larger Cowboys coaching staff, but you can see the pattern that the front office stuck by in their hiring process, and it’s a good one.
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