Cowboys' Brian Schottenheimer Called 'Underrated' by NFL Exec: 'He Has a Vision'

Even though the general consensus around the Dallas Cowboys' decision to hire Brian Schottenheimer as their new head coach was one of confusion, people around the NFL think the move can pay off.

Speaking to The Athletic's Jeff Howe, one unnamed NFL executive described Schottenheimer as "underrated" because "he has a vision" for what he wants.

"He has the ability to be a better head coach than coordinator," the executive said. "He’s confident. He has a vision for who he wants to be and how he wants to play, and he’ll be able to communicate that across the team."

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones certainly took a unique approach to his coaching situation to start the offseason. He waited a week after the regular season ended to announce Mike McCarthy would not be returning after the two sides were unable to agree to terms on a new contract.

After a very brief flirtation with Deion Sanders, Jones landed on Schottenheimer for the job. It's yet another instance of the Cowboys hiring from within, since Schottenheimer had spent the past three seasons working on McCarthy's staff.

Jones didn't help matters by calling the hire "as big a risk you could take" during Schottenheimer's introductory press conference.

Schottenheimer does have 28 years of coaching experience, including 25 in the NFL with nine different teams. This will be his first time as a head coach at any level.

Given Schottenheimer's familiarity with the Cowboys and history of success with multiple different teams, it wouldn't be a surprise if he is able to at least replicate some of what they were able to do under McCarthy.