A quest for a Super Bowl return has carried on 30 years for the Dallas Cowboys.
For the Schottenheimer family, the journey has been much longer.
The late Marty Schottenheimer is widely regarded as one of the greatest NFL head coaches of all time to have never made it to a Super Bowl.
His son, current Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, is entering his second season as Dallas' head coach and isn't shying away from talking about Super Bowl aspirations. Realizing a Super Bowl triumph is a pursuit he's passionate about, though not for his own individual glory.
"It's always something I've always dreamed of, you know," he recently on "The Twins Take Podcast." "I want to win a Super Bowl. I don't want to win it for me."
So, who does he want to win it for? Well, his players for starters.
"I want to win it for the people under my leadership," he said. "I want to win it for Dak Prescott. I want to win it for CeeDee Lamb, for Quinnen Williams, for your players that put in so much, you know, hard work and the sacrifice that goes into what we do. You know, from us as a coaching staff, it's the hours, it's the mental strain of game planning, but for the players, they put their bodies on the line.
"I make no qualms, that that's the goal. The Super Bowl next year is Feb. 14th, 2027.
"We plan on being there."
Should Schottenheimer fulfill his -- and his father's -- ambition, he plans on asking for a little extra.
"I've said this from the very beginning," Schottenheimer said, holding back emotions, "when we get our Super Bowl rings, I'll be getting an extra one for my dad."
Marty had 200 regular-season wins (205 including playoffs), which is seventh all time and the most for any coach who didn't make it to a Super Bowl. The elder Schottenheimer coached the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington and the San Diego Chargers. Aside from an 8-8 single season with Washington, he had a winning record with every other team. It was with the Browns where Schottenheimer was on the wrong sideline for two of the most heartbreaking playoff losses in NFL chronicle when Cleveland lost to the Denver Broncos in consecutive seasons in games remembered as "The Drive" and "The Fumble."
Brian Schottenheimer began coaching in the NFL in 1997 at the age of 24.
He was 52 during his first season as a head coach. The Cowboys went 7-9-1.
Despite those struggles, there are ample reasons for optimism for the club this season: the return of a high-octane offense led by Prescott and a restructured defense under new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, among them.
Schottenheimer is driving that positive outlook. He has a Super Bowl to win and a happy ending to write, after all.
Not for himself, though. Rather, for Dak and the 'Boys -- and his dad. Brian's aiming to finally get that ring for him, too.
