Emmitt Smith, NFL Legend, ‘Would Consider’ Coaching the Dallas Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys have a brand new head coach in Brian Schottenheimer — but Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith teased he’s waiting in the wings in case things don’t work out. 

Smith, 55, has mostly stayed away from the game of football since retiring as the NFL’s all-time leading rusher — a record he holds to this day — after a legendary career in 2005. But when Smith was asked exclusively by Us Weekly if he’d ever think about coaching, he smiled and said, “At the end of the day, I have considered it.”

“I would consider coaching the University of Florida, Texas A&M and the Dallas Cowboys if the opportunity presented itself,” Smith explained while speaking to Us about his partnership with On Location.

Prior to his 13 seasons with the Cowboys, Smith played three seasons of collegiate football at Florida. Smith’s son, E.J., transferred to Texas A&M in January 2024 after two seasons at Stanford. 

Without any previous coaching experience under his belt, however, Smith acknowledged he faces a potentially steep learning curve.

“I do understand that I have to prove to these folks that I know what I’m talking about, that I know what I’m doing,” Smith said. “The way I see it, it’s really all about my staff anyway. It’s about empowering people to take the philosophy that I want to impose upon the team, as well as the organization, to make it great.”

Smith continued, “These are messages that resonate with families. In football, they talk about the word ‘family,’ but very few people understand what that actually means. They talk about the word ‘chemistry’ in the game of football, but very few people understand what that means to the heart of an organization.”

The timing of Smith’s admission is noteworthy, as the Cowboys announced Schottenheimer, 51, as the team’s new head coach on Friday, January 24. Smith said the jury is still out on whether he thinks Schottenheimer is the guy to turn around the franchise, which hasn’t made a conference title game since 1996, the longest drought in the NFL. 

“I’m gonna start off by saying this: you gotta give everybody a chance to prove that they’re great head coaches and capable of leading the team to where it needs to go,” Smith said of Schottenheimer. “However, I have to wait and see the direction that he’s going to take the organization and if he has the ability to take the organization in the direction that I think it should go.”

Smith noted that the Cowboys are currently a shadow of the franchise he helped win Super Bowl titles in 1992, 1993 and 1995. 

“We have gotten so far away from the character of who we are,” Smith argued. “We need to go back to the fundamentals of who we are as an organization. That’s how we’re going to get back to our winning ways. If that doesn’t happen, we’re going to be sorry for a long time.”

While the Cowboys attempt to right the ship, Smith has partnered with On Location to provide hospitality packages ahead of Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans on Sunday, February 9. 

Packages include performances from Ludacris and The Revivalists, elevated menus featuring cuisine from some of New Orleans’ top chefs and restaurants, photo opportunities, a postgame on-field celebration, private NFL Shop access, NFL Legend appearances and more.

“The Super Bowl itself — I played in three and I’ve been to many of them — and the experience outside of playing in the physical game is just phenomenal,” Smith said. “The energy is phenomenal. These are just unique experiences that people can have to enjoy.”

For more on how to purchase On Location’s Super Bowl LIX packages, click here.