Brian Schottenheimer’s Emotional Tie to Kansas City Runs Deeper Than Football
The Cowboys’ 31-28 win over the Chiefs was more than just a key step toward the playoffs - for Dallas head coach Brian Schottenheimer, it was personal. And not just because of what the win meant in the standings.
Schottenheimer has deep roots in Kansas City. His father, the late Marty Schottenheimer, spent a decade as the Chiefs’ head coach, winning 101 games and taking the team to the postseason seven times between 1989 and 1998.
Brian grew up in the area, graduating from Blue Valley High School and even playing a season at the University of Kansas while his father was leading the Chiefs. He later joined Marty’s final Kansas City staff as an assistant in 1998.
So when Brian Schottenheimer talks about his affection for the Chiefs, it’s not just coach-speak. It’s family.
It’s legacy. And it’s something he still carries with him - literally.
“We cheer for Kansas City when we’re not playing them,” Schottenheimer told reporters this week. “I have so much love for the Chiefs organization. I always will.”
That love was on full display this past week, when Schottenheimer shared a poignant story that tied together family, football, and fate.
Twenty-one years ago to the day of the Cowboys-Chiefs game, Schottenheimer missed the only professional football game of his career. The reason?
His wife was giving birth to their first child, Sutton. At the time, Schottenheimer was coaching quarterbacks for the Chargers under his father in San Diego.
He was on a plane headed to Kansas City when Sutton was born.
Fast forward 21 years, and he found himself on the sideline once again, facing the very team that shaped so much of his family’s football journey.
“It’s pretty cool that 21 years ago today, my son was born, he’s 21, and it was just unique that we are getting a chance to play a team that I really love to compete against,” Schottenheimer said. “Love to win. But I’ll be cheering for them next week.”
That emotional connection to Kansas City - and to his father - hasn’t faded. In fact, it’s become part of his game-day ritual.
Schottenheimer revealed he carries a football trading card of his father in his pocket during games. It’s a card from Marty’s playing days as a linebacker with the Boston Patriots, back when he wore No.
- The card was a gift from Brian’s aunt and uncle during a recent trip to Carolina, and it’s become a personal talisman of sorts.
“During the game, in the last couple of games, I carry this,” Schottenheimer said. “It’s a football card of my dad in my pocket, and I’m still connected with him. And when times are a little bit difficult, I talk to him, and now I can feel his presence with me holding that football card.”
It’s not just a keepsake. It’s a reminder of the man who shaped his life - not just as a coach, but as a father and mentor.
“I want to make him proud,” Schottenheimer said. “I think he’s a legendary football coach, but like I said, he was an incredible and better person and father and leader of men.”
Schottenheimer, now in his first season as the Cowboys’ head coach after two years as the team’s offensive coordinator, has leaned on that legacy in more ways than one. His coaching résumé includes stops as offensive coordinator with the Rams, Jets, and Seahawks, but this year has brought new challenges and responsibilities. Through it all, he’s found moments to connect with his father - especially during the national anthem.
“That’s a moment that I can kind of talk to God and I talk to him and I talk to him before the game,” Schottenheimer said. “I’m just blessed, guys.
I mean, I really am. To be raised by the mom and dad that I had and to be able to grow up in this league and how special this league is.
It’s just beyond blessed.”
It’s that blend of football acumen and personal connection that’s helped Schottenheimer guide the Cowboys through the ups and downs of a demanding season. And while the win over the Chiefs was big for Dallas’ playoff hopes, it was also a moment of reflection - a full-circle reminder of where this journey began, and the man who helped start it.
As for that football card? It’s more than a lucky charm. It’s a quiet conversation between father and son, taking place on the biggest stage in football.