Remembering Marty: Cowboys’ Brian Schottenheimer displays on legacy of late dad on Father’s Day

FRISCO, Texas — When folks consider the phrase “legacy” within the context of sports activities, most affiliate it with championships and trophies. 

The Dallas Cowboys are actually no totally different: their 5 Super Bowl trophies are simply previous the entrance door of “The Star” in Frisco, Texas — their staff headquarters. One cannot stroll by way of the foyer with out recognizing them simply to the right-hand aspect of the doorway. 

Nonetheless, new coach Brian Schottenheimer feels in a different way. In his thoughts, legacy begins with folks and the impression they make on others. His reasoning for that’s due to his late father Marty Schottenheimer. Marty was an NFL coach for 21 seasons with the Cleveland Browns (1984-1988), Kansas City Chiefs (1990-1998), Washington (2001) and San Diego Chargers (2002-2006). The elder Schottenheimer went 200-126-1 throughout his 21 seasons, good for the eighth-most wins as a coach in NFL historical past. Of the seven folks forward of him, 5 are within the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame: Don Shula (328 wins), George Halas (318 wins), Tom Landry (250), Curly Lambeau (226) and Paul Brown (2013). The opposite two, former New England Patriots six-time Super Bowl champion coach Invoice Belichick (302) and Kansas City Chiefs three-time Super Bowl champion coach Andy Reid (273), will likely be as soon as eligible. 

Throughout the youthful Schottenheimer’s 25 years teaching within the NFL as an assistant, together with 14 as an offensive coordinator, he is skilled various folks across the league come as much as him at video games to speak about Marty. These conversations usually aren’t about soccer, they’re greater than the sport and maintain an much more particular which means for Schottenheimer on Father’s Day. 

“Legacy, it begins with folks. To today, I’m going out on the sector for a recreation and I will have two or three totally different people come as much as me and say, ‘Excuse me, coach. Do you’ve gotten a second?’ And I do know precisely the place they are going. I drop what I am doing, as a result of I wish to hear it,” Schottenheimer stated Thursday at Cowboys necessary minicamp. “They are saying, ‘Your father modified my life.’ And it is his former gamers. He by no means received a Tremendous Bowl. He received over 200 video games within the NFL, however I’d put his legacy up with anybody that is ever coached the sport.”  

Schottenheimer has at all times dreamed of being like his dad and changing into an NFL coach, a journey that took him practically 30 years earlier than Cowboys proprietor Jerry Jones gave him his first shot on the high job in 2025 on the age of 51. Regardless of a lot of the bond along with his father being about soccer, if Schottenheimer might converse to him now, the reflection on life classes would not revolve round soccer. 

“I do know he is proud. I miss him. I’d inform him that I used all of the life classes that he taught me, not nearly soccer however about life,” Schottenheimer stated as his eyes started to water. “Being man, husband, father. I feel I am doing OK myself, however I do know he is proud. I miss him like loopy. I truly lean on a few of his associates now, guys like Invoice Cowher. Guys that he coached with. Father’s Day will likely be a special occasion. Clearly, I am a father of two wonderful children. I speak to my mother, and I do know he is wanting down on me. Recognize you making me get teared up right here the final day of minicamp.”

The primary story Brian would inform Marty since changing into the Cowboys coach would come from his introductory press convention on the finish of January. Schottenheimer thought the media availability could be held within the staff’s press convention room that may maintain round 50 folks most. As a substitute, Dallas set it up within the atrium of their staff facility and effectively over 100 folks had been within the crowd starting from media, Cowboys workers, household, associates and gamers. Seeing Dallas gamers in attendance to assist him put him relaxed, one thing his father would have been proud to listen to. 

“We’re clearly an emotional household, and I used to be actually nervous going to the press convention. Large second you have been ready on your complete life,” Schottenheimer stated. … “Jerry and Stephen [Jones] walked me down, and I noticed my household. However after I turned the nook, I noticed the gamers, all of the gamers over there. He [Marty Schottenheimer] would know the truth that all these gamers confirmed up that I am doing it the suitable approach. I am doing it by way of connection. I am doing it by way of love and power. That truly calmed me down. It actually did. I used to be nervous and excited on the identical time. After I noticed all these gamers ready for me proper across the nook, it completely put me at peace. In order that was cool.”

Quarterback Dak Prescott was one of many gamers in attendance that day, and the three-time Professional Bowler affirmed he is at peace with Schottenheimer too, saying their communication — amongst different issues, has him “excited as hell” for the 2025 season.

“The communication with Schotty, with the quarterbacks or the quarterback room. Simply quite a lot of good issues,” Prescott stated Thursday. “Quite a lot of actually good issues which have me in an amazing place. I am wholesome, excited as hell. … No [he doesn’t seem like a first-year coach], and I feel once you’ve been an assistant for 30 years, that is the rationale he would not appear that approach. He is doing a hell of a job.”

How fatherhood has modified Prescott

Prescott is new to fatherhood not like his coach, who has a son in faculty and daughter who’s about to move off to varsity. He and his fiancée Sarah Jane had their first youngster collectively, daughter, Margaret Jane (MJ), in February final 12 months, and so they welcomed one other daughter, Aurora Rayne, on Could 22 of this 12 months. Prescott has been molded by various occasions in his life, together with the lack of his mom Peggy to colon most cancers in 2013 and the lack of his brother, Jace, to suicide in 2020. Nonetheless, being a father has modified the Dallas quarterback in a technique: making him higher at smelling the roses because it pertains to the little issues in life. 

“I am blessed. I am blessed to have the chance to boost two women alongside my fiancée. To have a ravishing household, wholesome household, for me it is nearly being grateful and never taking the second with no consideration after I’m with them,” Prescott stated. “However I have been by way of issues in my life that I do not essentially suppose fatherhood simply confirmed me one thing new. I perceive the love that my mother had for me, proper, differently now that I’ve children. However I feel when you’ve gotten a few of the adversity that I’ve had you are so grateful for every little thing you are given, the great and the unhealthy and something in between that fatherhood isn’t any totally different now. It simply makes me much more centered on the small moments.”