Brian Schottenheimer has been active since being announced as the new Dallas Cowboys head coach and has completed the hiring of the coaching staff around him.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the Cowboys quickly announced the hiring of Matt Eberflus as the new defensive coordinator and Nick Sorensen as the team’s special team coordinator.
Dallas also agreed to contracts with Dave Borgonzi to become the new linebackers coach, Andre Curtis as the new defensive pass game coordinator, and Aaron Whitecotton as the new defensive line coach.
The team also announced hiring defensive backs coach David Overstreet, who spent the previous three seasons in Chicago with Eberflus and helped turn the secondary into one of the most disruptive in the NFL.
The hiring process of the coaching staff has continued over the past few days as the Cowboys have hired multiple assistant coaches to work on the offensive side of the ball.
Steve Shimko will serve as the Cowboys’ quarterbacks coach, Derrick Foster will work as the running backs coach, Junior Adams will be the wide receivers coach, Lunda Wells will be the tight ends coach, and Conor Riley has been hired as the offensive line coach, according to Nick Harris of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Each of these coaches has put together long careers at either the collegiate or professional level and has proven to be among the best in the world at their crafts.
The two most notable hires from this coaching staff are Adams and Riley. Both coaches worked at the collegiate level but have shown to work well with players who eventually became some of the best in the NFL.
Adams previously worked at the University of Oregon as the co-offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach, where he helped develop NFL wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Rome Odunze.
Riley has also spent the majority of his career working in college and is coming directly from Kansas State University, where he helped turn the Wildcats into one of the most explosive rushing attacks in college football.
The Cowboys also hired former Cleveland Browns offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey as a pass-game specialist, meaning he will help run the offense and assist the team throughout the week.
Dallas will now focus on the upcoming free agency period beginning on March 12.
Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones said it was surprising to him that America’s Team did not make a deeper run this year and that he is committed to winning at the highest level next season.
“I wouldn’t have signed Dak Prescott, the highest-paid player in the NFL, if now wasn’t when when we wanted to win. This is a shocker to be here at this Super Bowl and not have the Cowboys here,” he said, per CBS Sports.
“I didn’t plan on that when I made that agreement with him. So we’re going to do everything we can to get there.”
Although Cowboys fans might expect the team to spend some money on free agents this season following Jones’s comments, Dallas is increasingly unlikely to sign any key players to a contract.
Despite Jones claiming last season that he was committed to winning a Super Bowl, the Cowboys spent the lowest amount of any NFL team in free agency last year.
Dallas spent just $18.85 million in free agency last year, coming from an astounding 11 one-year contracts, according to Ed Werner of WFAA.
The realistic path to success for the Cowboys will come from hitting on multiple selections in the 2025 draft and remaining healthy during the season.