Cowboys’ Jones Says Succession Plan Would Shape Coaching Decision

Stephen Jones said the Dallas Cowboys would be prepared to make an in-season coaching change if they had a replacement plan ready, while reiterating that the team currently supports head coach Brian Schottenheimer. Jones spoke on KRLD-FM on Monday but did not specify what on-field results would prompt a change.

Schottenheimer enters Week 9 of his second season with a 10-14-1 record. In his latest game, Dallas gave up a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter and lost to the Arizona Cardinals, intensifying calls for a coaching change.

The Cowboys have made an in-season coaching change only once since Jerry Jones bought the team. In 2010, they fired Wade Phillips after an 1-7 start and promoted offensive coordinator Jason Garrett, who remained head coach through the 2019 season.

A report from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram said the Cowboys are not expected to fire Schottenheimer during the current season, though a decision after the season is considered plausible. The report also cited Jerry Jones’s dislike of paying a coach who is no longer leading the team.

Stephen and Jerry Jones have publicly continued to back Schottenheimer. The possibility of a midseason move would depend in part on having someone positioned to take over; the team’s next coaching decision may therefore come after the season.