Jerry Jones’ quest to find a successor for Mike McCarthy didn’t take long for the Dallas Cowboys owner.

The Cowboys announced on Friday that they have appointed offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer as their new head coach.

“Brian Schottenheimer is known as a career assistant,” Jones informed ESPN. “He ain’t an assistant anymore. He is now the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys.”

A press conference to introduce Schottenheimer as the head coach is set for noon ET on Monday.

At 51 years old, Schottenheimer interviewed with the team on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Cowboys had only formal discussions with three other candidates – former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh, Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, and Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier – making it the least number of interviewees for any of the seven coaching openings this cycle.

Deion Sanders, the Colorado coach and a former star for the Cowboys, spoke with Jones about the position, but the discussions didn’t progress beyond the initial stage.

Schottenheimer has been the Cowboys’ offensive coordinator for the past two seasons after McCarthy took over play-calling duties following Moore’s departure. The team’s scoring ranked first in the NFL in 2023, with an average of 29.9 points per game. However, their performance dropped to 21st this season after quarterback Dak Prescott was sidelined for the remainder of the season due to a partial tendon avulsion in his right hamstring in November.

Following a disappointing 7-10 season, McCarthy parted ways with the Cowboys, and Jones stated that the search for a replacement would start “immediately.”

With this hire, the New Orleans Saints are now the only team left with a coaching vacancy.

Who is Brian Schottenheimer?

Brian Schottenheimer, son of the late NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer, has previously served as the offensive coordinator for three other NFL teams: the New York Jets from 2006 to 2011, the St. Louis Rams from 2012 to 2014, and the Seattle Seahawks from 2018 to 2020. He worked with his father during their time at the Kansas City Chiefs in 1998, the Washington team in 2001, and the San Diego Chargers from 2002 to 2005.

Before joining the Cowboys, he held the role of passing game coordinator for the Jacksonville Jaguars under Urban Meyer.

Notably, Schottenheimer had not interviewed for a head coaching position in the NFL since 2013, when he spoke with the Jaguars.

Contributing: Tom Schad

This story was updated with new information.