Brian Schottenheimer carried a card in his wallet when he was still in college, inscribed with his goal at the time.
Become the youngest head coach in the NFL.
Didn’t quite work out that way for the son of the late coach Marty Schottenheimer, in part because he said it wasn’t too many years later when the younger Schottenheimer thought maybe he wasn’t ready.
The 51-year-old Schottenheimer says he is now, and the Dallas Cowboys promoted him from offensive coordinator to be the 10th coach in the storied franchise’s history.
“I thought for a while it might not happen, but it’s been a lifelong dream,” Schottenheimer said at his introductory news conference Monday, with his family and Marty Schottenheimer’s widow, Pat, watching along with franchise quarterback Dak Prescott and several teammates.
“That notecard was in my wallet at an early age, and it’s been a long time coming, but it’s here,” the younger Schottenheimer said.
He was quick to address the skeptics who questioned the hiring of a coach considered a career assistant, a suggestion even dropped by owner Jerry Jones when he announced the decision last week.
Schottenheimer broached the touchy subject even before taking a moment to recognize his father, who was 200-126-1 in 21 seasons as a head coach with stops in Cleveland, Kansas City, Washington and San Diego. The elder Schottenheimer died four years ago at age 77.
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