Stephen A. Smith tests Schottenheimer's definition of a "great coach"
First Take turns a Cowboys press-conference declaration into a debate about results, with school grades and speed limits supplying the punchlines.
Why this story? The video opened at a pace of 170,224 views a day, 10 times a normal first day on this channel (16,993).
Stephen A. SOUNDS OFF on Brian Schottenheimer saying he knows he is a great coach 🗣️ | First Take
Things we can learn from the video
Press to jump
- 0:54Orlovsky picks Chicago to win the NFC North, pointing to Caleb Williams and the team's snap statistics.
- 2:25Spears picks Minnesota, arguing that its offense and defense complement each other.
- 7:41Schottenheimer declares that he knows he is a great coach and believes in his team's capabilities.
- 8:12Smith challenges the label of greatness by citing Schottenheimer's head-coaching record, later adding grades and car-speed analogies.
- 12:05Spears interprets the declaration as defensiveness and compares coaching responsibilities with the unglamorous duties of marriage.
The desk cracks up. Stephen A. Smith is using test scores and car speeds to explain why Brian Schottenheimer shouldn't call himself a great coach, and a football argument has become a lesson in everyday standards.
The trigger is Schottenheimer's press-conference declaration: "I know what a great coach I am. I know what this team is capable of." Smith's objection is straightforward: the head-coaching record he cites does not justify that description. "You have no business classifying yourself as that," he says.
Marcus Spears hears something different beneath the confidence. He interprets the remark as defensiveness, then compares head coaching with the less glamorous obligations of marriage: the job includes responsibilities that still have to get done.
NFL on ESPN's upload drew roughly 116,000 views in half a day. Its estimated first-day audience is about ten times the channel's usual for regular videos. The comments have already passed six times the usual full-day total, with viewers repeating the hand-sanitizer joke and extending Smith's analogies to household bills and chores.
Anyone arriving for the Cowboys discussion should know that it isn't the opening subject. The clip begins with an NFC North debate: Dan Orlovsky and Smith pick Chicago, while Spears makes Minnesota's case on the strength of its offense and defense. The Schottenheimer footage arrives about seven minutes in, with Smith's response following shortly afterward.
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What viewers say
"Let me put some hand sanitizer on. This is about to be nasty." 😂😂😂 Somebody clip that!!!! 🤣🤣🤣
@skywalkerslegacySee it on YouTube“ IF A CARRRR ONLY WENT 41 MPHHHH”😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@MfnnBEAZYSee it on YouTubeI'm a great husband, i take out the trash 41% of the time 😆. I paid 41% of the mortgage
@Pimula.TsuchimiSee it on YouTube
4 more comments
Stephen A said “if Johnny has 5 apples!”
@beenonyoutubesince2005See it on YouTube“ you gotta pay bills Dan”
@ZR2_LouSee it on YouTubeI can’t lie, Stephen A’s rant was hilarious and I’m not a fan in the slightest.
@E-KlasssSee it on YouTubeAll time great Stephen A rant 😂😂😂
@TonioDaGoat03See it on YouTube
Public comments from the video's page on YouTube
- Channel
- NFL on ESPN
- Subscribers
- 916,000 ▲ 3,000 this week
- Channel views, last 7 days
- 2,815,781
- Channel views, pace per day
- 317,861 (on a normal day: 679,557)
- Video published
- October 23, 2026
- Video views so far
- 116,446 (less than a day online)
- Video views, pace per day
- 170,224
The numbers
This First Take segment is drawing an unusually fast audience for NFL on ESPN, with an especially busy comment section.
💡 Test your knowledge
Which college did Caleb Williams play for immediately before entering the NFL?
Williams played at USC after transferring from Oklahoma.



