How Have the Last Few Head Coaching Debuts for the Cowboys Gone?

This season, the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy decided that five years of being together was enough for each party. McCarthy, during his time as the Cowboys’ coach, led them to be one of the winningest teams in the NFL for three years, but ultimately could not get the job done in the postseason. He got replaced by his offensive coordinator, Brian Schottenheimer, who will be having his first career head coaching gig, and there's no better place to have all the lights on you than the Dallas Cowboys. Now he will get his first test against fierce rivals and reigning champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, in their house. There will be a lot of pressure on Schottenheimer's shoulders heading into a huge matchup in his first official game, despite all the positives he has been displaying in the offseason, but how have previous coaches fared in their first game?

Mike McCarthy 

McCarthy's first game came back in 2020 in a close battle against the Rams. This game came during the COVID times, so there were no fans in SoFi Stadium for this bout, but that didn't seem to affect the Rams. They would win 20-17 versus a Cowboys team with notable players making their debut, like CeeDee Lamb and Trevon Diggs. Dallas would have a chance at a game-winning drive, but a controversial offensive pass interference by Michael Gallup on Jalen Ramsey would end the game there. The season would turn out not as planned due to the season-ending injury of Dak Prescott and the historically bad defense ending the year 6-10.

Jason Garrett 

Garrett’s first game as head coach came after the firing of Wade Phillips due to his 1-7 start in the 2010 season. Dallas would be going against rivals, the New York Giants, and in Garrett’s first showing, the Cowboys did not back down. They would win at the Meadowlands 33-20, led by a dominant performance by Dez Bryant, who had three catches for 104 yards and one touchdown. The Cowboys would go on to get their first home win all season, the very next week against the Detroit Lions, winning 35-19.

Wade Phillips 

Wade Phillips became the head coach after some time being the defensive coordinator for the San Diego Chargers following the retirement of Hall of Famer Bill Parcells. His first game in Dallas, like Garrett's, came against the New York Giants, but this time at home in Dallas, and the game did not disappoint. The Cowboys would win a 45-35 shootout with Tony Romo being the star, throwing for 345 yards and four touchdowns. This would be a historic season for the Cowboys, being the first seed in the NFC at 13-3 and having the most Pro Bowlers for an NFL roster in history, with 13. Despite the great season, the sixth-seed Giants would have the last laugh, upsetting the Cowboys in Dallas in the Divisional Round that season.