NFL Coach Rankings Rip Cowboys' Brian Schottenheimer For 'No Expectations'

Schottenheimer didn’t arrive in this role unprepared. Long before becoming the Cowboys’ head coach, he spent years shaping offenses across the league, earning a reputation for designing productive, adaptable systems. That background showed up during his time as offensive coordinator, when Dallas consistently fielded one of the more efficient and dangerous units in football.

America's Team's record is an easy number to point to, but it doesn’t tell the entire story. Transitioning into a head coaching role comes with challenges beyond play-calling, from managing game situations to setting the tone for an entire locker room.

Add in the natural growing pains that come with change, and the results become more understandable—even if they’re not acceptable by Dallas standards.

Ranking Schottenheimer at No. 21 assumes a level of stagnation that hasn’t necessarily been proven. It treats his early struggles as a ceiling rather than part of a process. For a coach with his background, that feels premature.

If Dallas takes the expected step forward this season, this conversation will shift quickly. And if it does, Schottenheimer won’t just climb rankings—he’ll reshape how he’s viewed across the league.