Interviews for DC are anticipated to take place next week.
Texas’s Frisco Early next week, the Dallas Cowboys plan to interview a few applicants for the open defensive coordinator post. This is part of their efforts to find a permanent successor for Dan Quinn, who accepted a head coaching position with the Washington Commanders.
Defense line coach Aden Durde and passing game coordinator/secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. are anticipated to be in-house candidates. Ron Rivera and Mike Zimmer are examples of outside candidates, according to numerous reports.
Since 2007, Whitt has worked as a defensive coach in the NFL. He has coached the Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, Cleveland Browns, and Dallas Cowboys since 2021.
His impact on the secondary has played a significant role in Dallas’s status as a consistent league leader.
Trevon Diggs (2021) and DaRon Bland (2023) each led the NFL in interceptions during his tenure, contributing to the takeaways.
In his native Great Britain, Durde began his coaching career as the defensive coordinator for the London Warriors in the BAFA National League, where he was a multiple national champion for six seasons. In 2018, he started his NFL career as a defensive quality control coach with the Atlanta Falcons under Dan Quinn. In 2020, he was promoted to outside linebackers coach. Since 2021, he has worked with the Cowboys.
Through his defensive line growth, Osa Odighizuwa has developed into a skilled interior pass rusher, DeMarcus Lawrence has become an excellent run defender, and Micah Parsons has become a perennial All-Pro.
Zimmer most recently held the position of head coach of the Minnesota Vikings of the NFL from 2014 to 2021. Zimmer was an assistant coach with the Cowboys from 1994 to 2006, spending the final seven seasons in that role as defensive coordinator. In 2022, he worked at Jackson State University as a consultant for Deion Sanders.
Under a 4-3 design, Zimmer’s Dallas defense from 2003 allowed the fewest yards of any team in the NFL. Two seasons later, at the request of newly appointed head coach Bill, he would switch to a 3-4 defense.
Parts.
He had three postseason appearances while serving as head coach of the Vikings, including one in the 2017 NFC Championship Game. He has an overall record of 72-56-1 and a postseason record of 2-3 throughout his eight seasons.
Since the two teams faced each other twice a season in the NFC North during McCarthy’s tenure with the Packers, Zimmer and head coach Mike McCarthy had a close bond. Zimmer strongly backed McCarthy when the Packers fired him in 2018, calling the decision “sad” and a “mistake.”
NFL head coach Rivera most recently served as the head coach of the Washington Commanders from 2020 until his dismissal on January 8.
for 27 years, which included 6 years as a defensive coordinator and 13 years as a head coach.
Rivera’s first position other than head coach if hired by Dallas would be as defensive coordinator for the Chargers from 2008 to 2010.
Having coached for the Commanders and Panthers for 13 seasons, his head coaching record is 102-103-2. He has a 3-5 postseason record, and he played for the Panthers in Super Bowl 50.