By Merv Moore | Shop in Seagoville
June 28, 2026
Every time the Cowboys lose, the same ritual begins.
Fans blame the coach. Pundits blame the coordinator. Radio hosts spend three hours screaming about play calls.
Nobody talks about the man who made every single hire.
Jerry Jones has been the owner AND the general manager of this franchise since February 25, 1989. That is not an opinion. That is a fact he has repeated proudly for 37 years.
“There’s no way that I would be involved here and not be the final decision-maker. That’s never been anybody’s misunderstanding.”
— Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys Owner & GM
So let’s stop pretending it is.
The Record Speaks for Itself
The Cowboys have not returned to the NFC Championship Game since January 1996. That is 30 years. Three full decades. A full generation of fans who have never seen Dallas play for a conference title.
Dallas now owns the longest NFC title game drought of any team in the conference. Every other NFC team has played in at least one conference title game since the Cowboys last appeared.
Every. Single. One.
Even Jones himself admitted it after the Cowboys were eliminated in Week 16 of the 2025 season. “I’ll admit that the Cowboys management has played a big role in the 30-year Super Bowl drought,” he said. “I’m tremendously disappointed.”
That’s the owner. Admitting it himself. Out loud. On the record.
So why does the blame always land on the coach?
| Coach | Years | Record | Playoff Wins | NFC Title Games |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry Switzer | 1994–1997 | 40–24 | 5 | 1 |
| Chan Gailey | 1998–1999 | 18–16 | 0 | 0 |
| Dave Campo | 2000–2002 | 15–33 | 0 | 0 |
| Bill Parcells | 2003–2006 | 34–32 | 1 | 0 |
| Wade Phillips | 2007–2010 | 34–22 | 1 | 0 |
| Jason Garrett | 2010–2019 | 85–67 | 2 | 0 |
| Mike McCarthy | 2020–2024 | 49–35 | 2 | 0 |
| Brian Schottenheimer | 2025–present | 7–9–1 | 0 | 0 |
Note: Switzer record includes 1994–1995 Super Bowl seasons. All records include regular season only.
The Coaching Carousel
Since that last Super Bowl win, Jerry has run through a parade of head coaches. Barry Switzer. Chan Gailey. Dave Campo. Bill Parcells. Wade Phillips. Jason Garrett. Mike McCarthy. And now Brian Schottenheimer.
Eight head coaches in 30 years.
Chan Gailey led Dallas to back-to-back wild card berths and was fired after just two seasons. Jones publicly called it one of his biggest mistakes as an owner. He admitted it was not right. Then he kept doing the same thing.
After letting Matt Eberflus go this past offseason, Dallas was on its fourth defensive coordinator in four seasons. Four DCs in four years. And somehow the coordinator is always the problem?
Jerry’s Venezuela
When asked this past offseason whether Schottenheimer would have a say in the new DC search, Jones joked, “I’m running Venezuela.” He laughed. So did the room.
He was also completely serious.
When Jones hired Schottenheimer as head coach, he acknowledged knowing both of Brian’s parents. His relationship with the late Marty Schottenheimer — built over years on the NFL’s competition committee — was listed as a key reason for the hire.
“I like his baggage. I like his experience.”
— Jerry Jones, on hiring Brian Schottenheimer as head coach (ESPN)
The man picked his coach based on who the coach’s father was. Then wondered why the results were not what he planned.
The 2025 Season
Schottenheimer’s first year ended with a 7–9–1 record and no playoffs. The offense was one of the best in football. The defense was one of the worst in team history.
Dak Prescott threw for 4,552 yards, 30 touchdowns, and only 10 interceptions. He earned his fourth Pro Bowl nod. That’s on Schottenheimer.
The defense gave up 511 points — 30.1 per game — the most in Cowboys history. The DC who ran that defense? Jerry hired him.
| Category | Stat | NFL Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Record | 7–9–1 | Missed Playoffs |
| Points Scored Per Game (Off.) | 27.7 | Top 10 |
| Dak Prescott Passing Yards | 4,552 | Pro Bowl |
| Dak Prescott TD / INT | 30 TD / 10 INT | Elite |
| Points Allowed Per Game (Def.) | 30.1 (511 total) | Worst in Franchise History |
| Defensive Coordinator Changes (4 yrs) | 4 | All hired by Jerry |
Sources: ESPN, Dallas Cowboys official, CBS Sports (2026)
The Bottom Line
I have coached baseball on four continents. I have worked for clubs with no money, no fields, and no lights. I know something about accountability.
When a team fails year after year, you look at the constant. You look at the one thing that has never changed.
In Dallas, that constant is Jerry Jones.
He has been owner and GM since 1989. He has outlasted every coach. Every coordinator. Every quarterback. Every front office trend.
He is the one thing that stays the same while everything else keeps failing.
Maybe he turns it around. I genuinely hope he does. This city deserves better.
But the next time a Cowboys season goes sideways and you feel the urge to blame the coach — remember this: the coach works for Jerry. The coordinator works for Jerry. The roster was built by Jerry.
The coaches don’t make the final call.
Jerry does. He told you so himself.
Merv Moore is the Editor-in-Chief of Shop in Seagoville and writes the no-filter Moore or Less sports column. He has covered the Dallas Cowboys and the NFL for over three decades.
