Mick Shots: Choosing names thoughtfully instead of randomly.

FRISCO, Texas – As the Cowboys embarked on their search for a head coach, they readied themselves to interview defensive-minded candidates such as Robert Saleh and Leslie Frazier. The name Kellen Moore was also circulating, but they eventually discovered there was another candidate.

An individual whose name was not mentioned on the list of usual suspects.

Then, as if from nowhere, arrives the name that takes most off guard.

Brian Schottenheimer.

And don’t assume this is just the Cowboys randomly selecting a name. The Cowboys and Mike McCarthy’s inability to agree on the duration of a contract extension opened up this possibility. This isn’t quite the reassuring potential hire it’s depicted as, given that Detroit coordinators Ben Johnson has accepted the head coaching position with the Chicago Bears and Aaron Glenn is, as anticipated, joining the Jets. And let’s recognize that, despite NFL restrictions on interviews, you can be sure their agents had been negotiating these deals behind the scenes.

Confront it. In the NFL, Schotty has served as a coach for 25 years. Three years at university. Over the past three seasons with the Cowboys, he has added a 10th NFL stop to his résumé, serving first as a team consultant in 2021 focused on defense analysis, and then as the non-play-calling offensive coordinator after McCarthy assumed those responsibilities following Moore’s departure in 2023, which was notably not well-received by Dak Prescott.

What makes Schottenheimer a potentially attractive choice? Other than being raised by his head coach father Marty Schottenheimer, who was an NFL lifer and head coach for the original Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, the then Washington Redskins and San Diego Chargers over 21 years total, not to mention a six-year NFL playing career and 10 more years as an NFL assistant coach. Keep in mind that Marty was the one who offered McCarthy his first NFL assistant job with the Chiefs in 1993 when Brian was just 20.

Consider this: Schottenheimer, who is now 51, spent nearly all of his formative years as the son of an NFL coach, except for the first few months of his life.