Blogging The Boys
Michael Irvin is fed up.
The Dallas Cowboys stunned media and their fans when they hired Brian Schottenheimer to be their head coach. Schottenheimer has never been a head coach at the NFL level, and while he was the offensive coordinator for the last two seasons in Dallas, he didn’t call plays.
When the Cowboys fired former head coach Mike McCarthy this offseason, it left fans hopeful for a potential culture change. However, it became clear early in the search process that this was unlikely. Instead of having interviews with some of the highly-coveted candidates such as Ben Johnson and Aaron Glenn, they primarily focused their attention on Schottenheimer and Kellen Moore, two coaches with familiarity in the organization.
Cowboys legend Michael Irvin showcased his frustration with the hire, posting a video to his YouTube channel where he went on a passionate rant about the team passing on Colorado head coach Deion Sanders.
“Here’s my issue. We lost an opportunity here. I don’t know what happened with Coach Schottenheimer and the Cowboys, but Jerry is a shrewd, shrewd businessman, and this opportunity, I’m shocked he did not see. I was pushing for Deion Sanders to be the next head coach, and I still stand 10 toes down on that push.”
He proceeded to talk about the lack of playoff success by the Cowboys, and how they are falling behind in the NFC.
“Let me break it down. We have two NFC East teams in the NFC championship game being played tomorrow. All eyes on them. The Philadelphia Eagles and the Washington Commanders. Our enemies on all fronts. And they’re in a position that we haven’t held in 30 [expletive] years.”
Irvin expressed that it is hard to achieve culture change when hiring someone from within the organization. A point that many fans who are upset about the hire have been pointing out.
“We’re losing ground in the NFC. ... It was time to bring somebody in here that could shake things up and grab this last leg of Cowboys Nation.”
It’s unfair to count out Schottenheimer and his ability as a head coach without any experience. Who knows, this could work out similarly to the Dan Campbell situation in Detroit. The Lions were ridiculed for that hire at the time, and it’s turned out to be the best decision for the organization. With all that said, hiring Schottenheimer and not even taking a serious look at the highly-coveted candidates in the coaching search doesn’t inspire hope for the future in Dallas.
