For years, the storyline surrounding the Dallas Cowboys has been that it is primarily the Jerry Jones show, with any head coach hired relegated to a secondary role. This sentiment was echoed by Dan Patrick and other media members, who felt that the introductory press conference for new head coach Brian Schottenheimer underscored that narrative. During Monday’s event, Jones appeared more focused on expressing how hiring Schottenheimer was outside his “comfort zone” rather than showing support for Schottenheimer in his potential to lead the organization effectively.
Jones emphasized multiple times that Schottenheimer lacks head coaching experience in the NFL, labeling the hire as “as big a risk as you can take.” In essence, he articulated the reasons against hiring Schottenheimer rather than the motivations behind the decision, which left many media members puzzled. Notably, ESPN’s Jeff Saturday and The Athletic’s Dianna Russini found Jones’ demeanor during the press conference to be perplexing.
On the following edition of The Dan Patrick Show, Dan Patrick reflected on how it felt as if Jones was positioning himself as the head coach of the Cowboys instead of Schottenheimer. “I don’t know how to describe that press conference. I’ve seen a lot of press conferences. I’ve attended a lot with some of the biggest names that have ever coached. That’s as weird as I’ve ever witnessed a press conference. It was a bit about Brian Schottenheimer, but it was a whole lot about Jerry Jones,” he remarked. Patrick recalled an emotional moment when Schottenheimer began to cry while remembering his father, only for Jones to interject with his own story about losing his dad, leading to his own tears.
“I’ve seen a lot of press conferences, with some of the biggest names who’ve ever coached. That’s as weird as I’ve ever witnessed a press conference. It was a bit about Brian Schottenheimer, it was a whole lot about Jerry Jones.”
-DP on yesterday’s #Cowboys Press Conference pic.twitter.com/QI8egx0RpX
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) January 28, 2025
Patrick also expressed that he would have preferred the Cowboys to hire Deion Sanders instead, as it would have aligned better with the Cowboys’ reputation for making bold moves, regardless of the potential fallout. “Hell, hire Deion (Sanders),” Patrick suggested. “I mean, I know it’s too late. But that would have made more sense with what the Cowboys have become. I don’t know what it is. But you’ve got to watch it. It may be a car accident and it’s not pretty. But you’re going to watch it.”
