Dallas Cowboys Arrive For Training Camp Led By ‘NFL’s Worst Coach’? originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
OXNARD, Calif. – Is Brian Schottenheimer the worst head coach in the NFL? Nah.
He is – apparently – the second-worst head coach in the NFL.
By most measures, “Schotty” has positively launched the Dallas Cowboys into a new era at The Star … and one that “America’s Team” hopes continues into training camp here in Oxnard starting this week, off to a positive and impressive start.
It hasn’t been about “real football” yet; that will come soon enough. But the vibe and the energy and the evidence of “buy-in” commitment from the locker room is palpable.
The Schottenheimer ship is being rowed in the right direction.
But for those who want their judgments now? Welcome to “Listicle” Season, full of subjective (and sometimes arbitrary) rankings for all … including coaches.
And in CBS Sports’ ranking of all 32 head coaches, Schottenheimer comes in at a dismal No. 31.
“To say his promotion after Mike McCarthy’s exit was an anticlimactic surprise would be an understatement,” CBS Sports writes. “But this is Jerry Jones’ show, so it’s actually par for the course. Yes, Schottenheimer’s name may be bigger than his resume, but this man first held a coordinator job way back in 2006; it’s not like he’s totally lacking in NFL chops.
“Are we sure there isn’t a remote possibility he makes like, say, Doug Pederson — another former NFC East hire who was overlooked by all except his own team’s powerful front office — and proves to be just the approachable leader Dallas needs?”
That’s actually a fairly positive collection of words … one that almost conflicts with No. 31 – which is quite the Kick in the Gortats.
It is pure speculation, or worse, which is fine, but we do wonder this: Out of the other head coaches with zero experience in Kellen Moore (29), Aaron Glenn (28), Liam Coen (26), and Ben Johnson (24), what makes them “better” than Schotty as a head coach?
We know that all have good skins on the wall as coordinators, but being a head coach? It’s their first time, at it is with Schottenheimer, who at 51 has a decades-long resume as a coordinator.
Starting this week at camp? A chance for this coach and this team to inch toward proving the doubters wrong.
And maybe being ranked 31 out of 32 NFL head coaches is a nice little motivation piece that we think, might make it across Brian’s desk at some point this season.
Or, if we are to take this Schottenheimer diss seriously? Hey, he’s No. 31. So Dallas doesn’t have the worst coach in the 32-team NFL, right?
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.