The Dallas Cowboys are in the midst of a major change with first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer taking over for Mike McCarthy. It’s still early in the Schottenheimer era, but he continues to draw praise for his approach.
The long-time assistant credits his father, Marty Schottenheimer, for teaching him how important relationships are in building a winning culture. The younger Schottenheimer has already been able to put that into practice, as noted by SI’s Albert Breer.
Breer says Schottenheimer has been vital in keeping contract negotiations between Micah Parsons and the front office from falling off the rails. After failing to find common ground, team owner Jerry Jones made a ridiculous statement about not even knowing Parsons’ agent. That made it personal, but Schottenheimer was the one Breer credits for smoothing things over.
He said the relationship between the star player and coach has given them a true bond of trust. For that reason, Parsons showed up to minicamp keeping any distraction at bay in the process.
”It does mean that something that could’ve been a sideshow during Schottenheimer’s first offseason as a head coach hasn’t been. The coach and Parsons trust each other, they’ve had good talks, and, as such, everyone can compartmentalize the contract talks months after Jones seemed to make it personal.” — Breer, SI
He added that Schottenheimer’s approach could pay off for a franchise that’s been starved for a title since 1995.
Schottenheimer wasn’t a popular choice when hired, but he continues to win over everyone who watches him interact with staff and players. There’s a long way to go toward being the best culture in sports, but the coach is doing all he can to set the right tone.
Now if he could get the front office on board, then things would really be moving in the right direction.
