Billionaire Cowboys owner Jerry Jones breaks silence on failed Deion Sanders plan 

The Dallas Cowboys officially unveiled Brian Schottenheimer as the 10th full-time head coach in franchise history. The Cowboys' search for a new head coach wasn't as expansive as other franchises and they ultimately settled for a man they were pretty familiar with to lead the charge in the post-Mike McCarthy era.

At Schottenheimer's unveiling, Jones was also asked about his pursuit of Deion Sanders. Jones reached out to the Colorado Buffaloes head coach the very same day he fired Mike McCarthy.

“To hear from Jerry Jones is truly delightful, and it’s intriguing. I love Jerry and believe in Jerry," 'Coach Prime' told ESPN at the time. "After you hang up, and process it, and think about it, it’s intriguing. But I love Boulder and everything there is about our team, the coaches, our student body and the community.”

When Jones was asked to address the fact that he reached out to the two-time Super Bowl champion, the Cowboys GM simply sidestepped the question and noted that Sanders already has a job.

EVP Stephen Jones also confirmed that they reached out to Sanders, adding that both he and Jerry Jones think the world of Coach Prime.

Last week, NFL insider Ed Werder reported that Sanders would be open to the idea of coaching the Cowboys. Last year, Sanders made it known that the only way he would take up a job in the NFL would be for an opportunity to coach both his sons - Shedeur Sanders and Shilo Sanders. While the former is out of Dallas's reach in the 2025 NFL Draft, drafting the latter would have been an option if they needed to entice Sanders to leave Boulder for The Star.

---

Exploring Brian Schottenheimer's background with the Dallas Cowboys

Schottenheimer's roots run pretty deep in Dallas. He's the son of the late, great Marty Schottenheimer who racked up 200 regular-season wins in coaching stints around the league. He also served as a mentor to Mike McCarthy.

The younger Schottenheimer signed on with Dallas in 2022, initially as a consultant. When Kellen Moore (another candidate who the Cowboys reached out to) was let go as offensive coordinator, McCarthy replaced him with Schottenheimer from 2023-2024.

Other names who were linked with the Cowboys in this hiring cycle include Pete Carroll, who eventually landed with the Raiders, Leslie Frazer, and former All-Pro Jason Witten.

Schottenheimer will take over a team that went 7-10 to end the season after a laundry list of injuries. The franchise handed him a four-year contract to dovetail with Dak Prescott's four-year, $240 million deal.

---