As the Cowboys head to Oxnard for training camp, Brian Schottenheimer’s energy is turning heads—but FS1’s Colin Cowherd has a wild theory involving Nick Saban and the Dallas sideline. Should fans buy into the hype?
Schottenheimer’s Era Begins… But of Course, Here Comes Cowherd
The Cowboys are packing up for Oxnard, and things are actually feeling pretty good in Dallas—new head coach Brian Schottenheimer brought the juice during OTAs and minicamp, firing up players and fans alike.
But before we can even get a sunburn at camp, good ol’ Colin Cowherd decided to throw a wrench into the Cowboys’ momentum by floating a theory straight from the land of Hot Takes: What if Nick Saban comes out of retirement… to coach the Cowboys?
Yes, really.
“Schottenheimer is over his skis,” says Cowherd
Cowherd, the ever-vocal FS1 host who treats the Cowboys like his daily stress ball, decided Schottenheimer isn’t the long-term guy—despite leading a 12-5 offense as Dallas’ OC and energizing the offseason like he’s been mainlining Gatorade.
On his show, Cowherd speculated that Jerry Jones might dump Schottenheimer after just one year and give a certain ESPN-bound college football legend a ring:
“Schottenheimer is over his skis… Jerry could go to Saban and go, ‘Okay, this Schottenheimer thing doesn’t work … I need a guy who knows college personnel.’”
Okay, deep breath.
Unless the Cowboys somehow go 3-14 (spoiler: they won’t), there’s no logical reason Jones would kick Schotty to the curb after Year 1. The man’s got experience, respect in the locker room, and—frankly—the team’s too stacked to crash and burn like that.
Saban: College GOAT, but NFL Again?
Let’s talk Saban. Seven national titles. Alabama icon. Absolute coaching wizard.
But his NFL résumé? Eh. One stint with the Dolphins that went 6-10, then peace’d out to Alabama. The NFL’s different now—faster, more ego-driven, and full of complicated dynamics Saban famously disliked (looking at you, NIL chaos).
Cowherd claims Saban’s “got a little itch” and might find the Cowboys’ glitz and glam too tempting to ignore:
“You’re talking about the best college coach ever… He’s not challenged. He’s still useful, sharp as a tack. The Dallas Cowboys call, he’s not taking that call?”
Sure, Nick might pick up the phone out of curiosity (who wouldn’t?). But let’s not pretend Saban’s jumping at the chance to deal with NFL egos and the circus that can be Jerry World. Also, remember—Saban left the pros once already because it wasn’t his vibe.
But What If…
There’s one scenario where this gets spicy: if Schottenheimer’s Cowboys flop badly. Like, 2015-level bad. In that bizarro-world, Jones might be tempted by Saban’s star power.
But the issue? Saban comes with a big personality and reputation—one that might not mesh well with Jerry’s need to be the alpha in the room. As Albert Breer pointed out:
“The spotlight factor would be most appealing, but also the most difficult for Jones… he’d have to take a back seat.”
And when was the last time Jerry took a back seat to anyone?
Real Talk for Cowboys Fans
Let’s keep it real: Schottenheimer deserves a shot. He’s got the momentum, knows today’s game, and seems to have already lit a fire under this roster.
Cowherd’s wild Saban theory is exactly what it sounds like—a fun barbershop convo that shouldn’t distract from the actual work going on at The Star.
The Cowboys are headed into camp with purpose. Let’s see what Schotty can cook up before we start fantasy-booking coaching replacements.
And if Nick Saban does show up at Oxnard? I’ll eat a foam finger on live TV.
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