(Editor's Note: Time to check the mail! The DallasCowboys.com staff writers answer your questions here in 'Mailbag' presented by Miller Lite.)
Any concern there is no coach on the staff with prior head coaching experience? In the past, there have been a few coaches or coordinators who were head coaches. Who does Brian Schottenheimer turn to if he needs some in-game advice or suggestions? – Aryn Coleman, Brambleton, VA
Kurt: Honestly, not having a former head coach on the staff doesn't bother me at all. Sure, there have been those like Rod Marinelli (2014-19) and Dan Quinn (2021-23), who had some good seasons in Dallas as defensive coordinators, as did offensive coordinators Bill Callahan (2012-14) and Scott Linehan (2015-18).
But here lately, we've also seen the likes of Mike Nolan (2020), Mike Zimmer (2024) and Matt Eberflus (2025). Anyone care to relive those "eras" again?
Brian Schottenheimer has been around the game literally his entire life, tagging along with his father Marty while growing up before then serving as a coach in some capacity for nearly three decades. Needless to say, he knows football.
And I think it's great he has built his own staff with presumably like-minded, innovative people. While he's brought in several young assistants, they've been around the game as well. No, they haven't been head coaches, but many, if not all, hope to be. They're hungry, learning and ready to prove themselves.
So, of course, Schottenheimer doesn't have all the answers, but he's got experience, help around him and certainly a Rolodex of contacts he can call for advice if ever needed. We won't know if this all works until the season gets going, but this way of doing business sure seems a refreshing change from what we've seen here recently.
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