Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
Dallas Cowboys head coaches have had all sorts of first seasons across franchise history.
Brian Schottenheimer, the Cowboys’ rookie head coach, is the tenth in franchise history. Like each one before him, Schottenheimer’s run starts with a unique set of circumstances. How challenging is 2025 for him compared to 1960, 1989, and other points when a newly hired coach began his time in the big chair?
It’s rare for a new head coach to inherit a good situation. Generally, it takes a bad one for the last guy to get fired or want to quit. But there are exceptions to that, and the Cowboys have had more than one instance where a coach left for reasons other than disappointing performance.
In terms of how challenging certain seasons were over others, some obstacles don’t come until the games start. Poor ol’ Dave Campo lost QB Troy Aikman and WR Joey Galloway to injuries in the first week of his inaugural season. For today’s exercise, we’re focusing more on the overall strength of the team going into the year and obstacles that were well-known before September.
