Video shows moment Cowboys staff learned of Matt Eberflus firing

The Dallas Cowboys’ disappointing season came to a close with a 34-17 blowout loss to the New York Giants in Week 18. Dallas finished the year with the NFL’s worst scoring defense. The unit allowed a league-high 30.1 points per game. So it came as no surprise when the Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.

And thanks to Hard Knocks’ in-season chronicling of the NFC East this year, fans were able to witness Brian Schottenheimer telling the Cowboys’ coaching staff that Eberflus was one-and-done in Dallas.

“I just met with Flus early this morning. Incredible human being. I love the man, but at the end of the day, the football wasn’t right,” Schottenheimer explained to a dozen staffers sitting around a conference table. “I’ve been in this position, I’ve been Flus. I’ve been the guys in this room. I understand the questions. I understand the concerns, and I will answer all of those.”

WILD FOOTAGE#Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer informing his coaching staff that he FIRED defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.

“Incredible human being. Love the man”

“At the end of the day the football wasn’t right”

(Hard Knocks)pic.twitter.com/XDJu5oLZ2P

— MLFootball (@MLFootball) January 14, 2026

The Flus is loose

While this was Schottenheimer’s rookie season as a head coach, he’s spent 24 of the last 25 years in the NFL, primarily as an offensive coordinator. Schottenheimer was retained as the New York Jets’ OC after Eric Mangini was fired and Rex Ryan took over as head coach in 2009. And he was the Jacksonville Jaguars’ passing game coordinator when Urban Meyer got canned in 2021.

Schottenheimer’s also been on the Eberflus side of things. He was fired by the Jets after an ugly 2011 season. And the Seattle Seahawks moved on from the coach following the team’s disappointing 2020 campaign.

So, Schottenheimer is uniquely equipped to deal with a staffer’s dismissal. And he showed compassion for Eberflus during the Hard Knocks segment.

“Right now the focus has to be, number one, about the man. Checking on him, one. Reach out, tell him you love him. Because he’s a great man. Two, finishing this process. The exit interviews with the players are critical. We have to continue that process… If anybody’s got questions, come see me,” he added.

The Cowboys are on the hunt for their next defensive coordinator. Some observers consider Broncos assistant Jim Leonhard the frontrunner for the position. However, the Cowboys will also interview Jonathan Gannon.

Jeff Ulbrich, on the other hand, is likely off the table. The Falcons denied the Cowboys permission to meet with the coach.

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