Blogging The Boys
Mike McCarthy remained loyal to his friend, Brian Schottenheimer
The Dallas Cowboys and former head coach Mike McCarthy could not agree on a contract this offseason. McCarthy was reportedly looking for a new five-year contract, but Jerry Jones and the front office were only willing to commit to three years at the most.
The two could not come to terms, which resulted in McCarthy walking out the door and the Cowboys searching for a new head coach. They did not have to look far, as Brian Schottenheimer was just down the hall after spending the last two seasons in Dallas as offensive coordinator.
A new wrinkle in the story comes from FOX NFL Insider Jay Glazer, who says McCarthy helped Schottenheimer prepare for his interview with the Jones’ before they met.
Even though McCarthy and the Jones family made the “amicable” decision to pursue other avenues, McCarthy seemingly wanted to help out a long-time friend whose loyalty has been with the Schottenheimer family since he arrived in the NFL.
In 1993, the late great head coach Marty Schottenheimer hired McCarthy for a role on his staff as offensive quality control with the Kansas City Chiefs. It was McCarthy’s first job in the league. From there, McCarthy was promoted to quarterbacks coach, and the two men worked side by side for the next five years.
In their final season together in Kansas City, Brian Schottenheimer served as an assistant on his father’s staff. McCarthy and Brian became good friends even after the elder Schottenheimer resigned as head coach of the Chiefs in 1998.
Brian and McCarthy didn't work together again professionally until 2022 in Dallas when Schottenheimer was brought in as a consultant after spending a season with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was then promoted to offensive coordinator after Kellen Moore’s departure in 2023, and the rest is history.
The former Cowboys head coach often mentioned Marty Schottenheimer in his press conferences, highlighting the lessons he learned from his “mentor” and incorporating them into his coaching philosophies. Helping Brian Schottenheimer prepare for his interview with the Jones family was not just a gesture of friendship; it also showed McCarthy's reverence for his relationship with Schottenheimer’s father, reflecting the first opportunity Marty had given him with the Chiefs years ago.
