“Without that, you have nothing”: Brian Schottenheimer is trying to instill brotherhood in his Cowboys

Netflix’s sports docuseries America’s Team: The Gambler and His Cowboys may have been Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones’ biggest representation of his life’s work—but, but, but—finding Brian Schottenheimer for a head coach’s role in the 2025 season may also be seen as an attempt to repeat the telecast of the 1990s Cowboys.

Why do we say that? Schottenheimer is the son of the legendary NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer. Brian grew up watching ‘brotherhood’ instilled in the team coached by his father, Marty. He carries the same mentality, and where there’s brotherhood, love, care, understanding, and a we-before-me attitude instilled in a team, the team becomes unstoppable—the Dallas Cowboys will be undefeatable! Unconquerable. Invincible.

Our words will fall short. But that’s what’s going to happen.

That kind of confidence is present in the Cowboys coach’s voice. Let’s hear from him through ESPN’s Todd Archer, shall we?

Brian Schottenheimer carries a loss his father, Marty, bore during Denver Broncos vs. Cleveland Browns matchup in 1987

An incident with the Denver Broncos in 1987 stayed with Brian Schottenheimer longer than it was intended to. His father, Marty, was the coach of the Cleveland Browns at the time. During the 1987 AFC Championship between the Cleveland Browns and the Denver Broncos—“the Browns trailed (28-10 at one point) but were driving for the tying touchdown in the fourth quarter when Earnest Byner lost the ball at the Broncos’ 3-yard line,” Archer wrote.

Brian shared that the 38-33 loss stayed with the Browns, his father’s team. But with Brian? It was the ‘brotherhood’ moment that has stayed with him since. Brian saw Browns tackle Cody Risien pick up Byner after he lost the ball at the Broncos’ 3-yard line.

Talking about this very moment with Archer, Scottenheimer shared, “Without that (brotherhood), you have nothing. You guys ask me all the time about the ‘connection’ piece and stuff like that—these things that these young men try to do around the league, not just here, it’s different. I mean, they commit to something, and they give their all. Not for money. Not for fame or things like that. Yeah, that’s nice, but they do it because they love one another, and those are the ones that stick with you.”

Another driving force–no Super Bowl win for Brian Schottenheimer’s father, Marty

With brotherhood, the Dallas Cowboys’ newest coach, Brian Scottenheimer, also carries a deep wound. In the 21 years of his father, Marty Schottenheimer’s NFL career, he never had a single Super Bowl win. He won 200 regular-season matches (seventh most in NFL history), but the Super Bowl? Not one.

Now it’s the same scenario with the Cowboys. The Cowboys come hungry for a Super Bowl—30 years now! With such a pressing driving force, Schottenheimer’s Cowboys would be a delight to watch on the field!

You’re a Schottenheimer–what you say has to be truth and honor

Talking about making his father, Marty, proud, the Cowboys head coach told Archer, “I’ve always wanted to make him proud. I think that was always something when I got into the business; I knew that I had literally two things: It was my word, which I never will break for anybody because it’s too important, and my last name.

That was something that he just always beat into my head, like, ‘Hey, you know, you’re a Schottenheimer, and what you say has to be truth and honor.’ But you know, sitting in this chair makes it a little bit different because I’m truly following in his footsteps. I mean, I’ve been a coach for a long time, but if I was just a quality control coach right now, I’d still be trying to carry on his legacy.”

Before the matchup between the Super Bowl LIX-reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles and Jerry Jones’ Dallas Cowboys on September 4 at 8:20 PM ET, Brian Schottenheimer will talk to two people–his father, Marty, and God. He will ask his father to be there with him and say, “I know you are watching.” Marty passed away in 2021 after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease for seven years.Also Read: NFL Head Coaches Under Scrutiny: Brian Callahan, Raheem Morris, Brian Daboll, Shane Steichen & Mike McDaniel | NFL News - The Times of India