Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy marches down the field toward offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer during the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, December 22, 2024.<span class="dmnc_images-image-elements-module__7oO0P pl-1">(Tom Fox / Staff Photographer)</span>
FRISCO — John Fassel was a sophomore in high school the first time his father was fired.
Jim Fassel was the head coach at the University of Utah. His parents got him out of school so they could tell him before the news broke.
A few years later, his father was the coach of the New York Giants. John, now the special teams coordinator for the Cowboys, was watching a game from the stands when the chants broke out.
“Fassel must go. Fassel must go.’’
It still echoes in his memory.
“I’m sitting there thinking damn,’’ Fassel said. “Here are 25,000 people mad at my dad and he’s trying his ass off.
“It hardens you a little bit, I think in a good way. It doesn’t make you resent it or hate the game. It just makes you realize it’s pretty fickle.
“Sometimes it goes great. Sometimes it doesn’t. But that doesn’t mean you have to change.’’
Mike McCarthy’s future with the Cowboys is the overriding narrative heading into Sunday’s regular-season finale against Washington. But he’s not alone.
Every coach on McCarthy’s staff is in the final year of his deal as well. All of their fates rest in the hands of owner Jerry Jones. That includes coordinators Fassel, Brian Schottenheimer and Mike Zimmer.
“No feelings, really,’’ said Zimmer, the Cowboys defensive coordinator. “This isn’t the first time for me this has happened. Two other times, maybe.
“You know, people in the real world do this all the time. They don’t have long-term contracts.
“I honestly don’t think it’s a big deal.’’
Schottenheimer, like Fassel, grew up in a football family. The Cowboys offensive coordinator is the son of the late Marty Schottenheimer. He watched his father be fired after leading the San Diego Chargers to a 14-2 record.
“What I’ve learned through the years is you’re promised 17 games or 16 games, whatever it is,’’ Schottenheimer said. “You owe that to your team. You owe that to the players and staff.
“Sunday is going to come. We’re going to play our last game and we’re going to see what happens. Nothing surprises me.
“Honestly, I don’t get caught up in it. I think it’s harder on the families, honestly. We’re busy. We’re here game planning, doing different things. I think it’s harder on them.’’
Schottenheimer acknowledges the staff’s unsettled status may be easier to handle for him than some of the younger coaches on the staff. He has tried to be a sounding board for anyone who needs it.
McCarthy has taken the same approach.
“He’s the guy that sets the tempo for all of us,’’ Schottenheimer said of the head coach. “We all have good days and bad days.
“When we go through tough times, like the middle of year, it was draining on all of us. I think what we try to do as a staff is pick each other up. If Mike is having a tough day, I need to pick him up.
“We’re all in this thing together.’’
Marty Schottenhiemer advised his son not to go into coaching. He did it anyway. It was in his blood.
Brian Schottenheimer’s son, Sutton, has made the decision not to follow in his footsteps. The family is thrilled with the decision.
But that doesn’t diminish how much football means to all of them.
“It’s a great profession,’’ Schottenheimer said. “It’s a tough profession. But the people are what make it special.
“I feel happy and blessed to be here.’’
This is the fourth time Fassel has gone into the final year of his contract with an NFL team. At least he believes it’s four. It could be the fifth time. He considers it part of the territory.
It doesn’t matter, Fassel adds. The coach’s job description doesn’t change just because he’s in the final year of his deal. He didn’t try to do more or less.
He just did his job.
“Growing up a coach’s son in the locker room and on the sidelines, I think it has helped me a ton,’’ Fassel said. “I’ve been fortunate to have that seasoning and realize it.
“This is part of it. Your contract is up. Maybe it’s a good year or not a good year and you fight on and see what happens next.
“Obviously, I want to come back,’’ he continued. “But if that’s not the case, we’ll scour the wire and see if we can find something else.
“But we’re not there yet. We’re ready to fight.’’
Catch David Moore and Robert Wilonsky as they co-host Intentional Grounding on The Ticket (KTCK-AM 1310 and 96.7 FM) every Wednesday from 7-8 p.m. through the Super Bowl.
Twitter: @DavidMooreDMN
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