On Monday, the Dallas Cowboys completed their offensive coaching staff, prioritizing continuity and maximizing quarterback Dak Prescott’s performance throughout the process. The choice of who will work directly with Prescott follows the addition of former Panthers and Bills quarterbacks coach Ken Dorsey as an analyst. Rather than Dorsey, the team opted for an internal promotion, elevating current analyst Steve Shimko.
Shimko takes over for Scott Tolzien, a holdover from Mike McCarthy’s staff who also climbed the ranks from offensive assistant to quarterbacks coach. The former Packers quarterback had served as Dak Prescott’s QB coach for the past two seasons. The Cowboys clearly value continuity and familiarity—qualities Prescott himself has emphasized—while still allowing new head coach Brian Schottenheimer to influence the decision. Shimko’s promotion also connects to Schottenheimer’s past, as the two previously worked together in Seattle. In 2018, Schottenheimer’s first year as the Seahawks’ offensive coordinator, Shimko began his NFL coaching career as an analyst. That season, Seattle finished 10-6 before losing in the Wild Card round to the Cowboys, marking Prescott’s first career playoff victory.
Shimko began his coaching career at the collegiate level with stints at Rutgers, Western Michigan, and JUCO Garden City before making a stop in the SEC as a graduate assistant at Georgia in 2015.
In his second season with the Seahawks, he was promoted to assistant quarterbacks coach, benefiting from stability in one place. During that time, he worked under current Panthers head coach Dave Canales, who was Seattle’s quarterbacks coach. After the 2019 season, Shimko returned to the college ranks, joining Boston College, where he once again earned promotions—starting as tight ends coach before moving to quarterbacks in 2022 and then serving as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2023.
In 2023, with Shimko as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach, the Boston College Eagles ranked in the top 15 nationally in both rushing attempts and yards per game. His track record aligns well with the scheme and philosophy the Cowboys aim to implement under Brian Schottenheimer.
Many have noted the youthfulness of the Cowboys’ revamped coaching staff as a potential advantage, bringing fresh ideas while fostering a culture where success is earned, not given. The team must ensure that any complacency contributing to their 7-10 regression and playoff absence is being eliminated from The Star.
Brian Schottenheimer’s first coaching staff with the Cowboys has come together swiftly, bringing a sense of cohesion to the football operations that the franchise has lacked in recent years. Whether that translates to success on the field remains to be seen. For now, like the rest of the league’s 32 fanbases, Dallas finds itself in a waiting game following the Eagles’ Super Bowl victory.
Leave a Reply