FRISCO — The Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus on Tuesday, paving the way for owner Jerry Jones to do something he really didn’t want to do. Dallas now has to find a new defensive coordinator for the fourth time in four years. They’ve gone from Dan Quinn, to Mike Zimmer, to Eberflus, to … ?
It’s still very early in the process, and there are bound to be some developments soon, but here are some potential options the Cowboys could pursue for their new defensive coordinator.
Related
Jonathan Gannon
Cowboys
The Cowboys like former head coaches when it comes to their defensive coordinator choices. Spoiler alert: Gannon is one of several potential candidates that fit the bill. Gannon, 43, was fired as the head coach of the Cardinals on Monday after three seasons. Arizona struggled for the most part on defense during that time, but they did finish 15th in points allowed in 2024. He was the defensive coordinator in Philadelphia prior to that for two seasons, where he led two top-10 defenses. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer has gone up against Gannon multiple times. He knows him. Will he be intrigued in hiring him?
Jim Schwartz
Yes, the Browns fired Kevin Stefanski on Monday, meaning Schwartz will likely be a hot commodity on the free agent coaching market. Stefanski also expects to be a candidate for head coaching jobs. Is it a guarantee that Schwartz will follow Stefanski to wherever he ends up? That’s one factor to keep in mind about Schwartz as a potential candidate for the Cowboys. If he’s available, he should be near the top of the Cowboys’ list. The Browns have had some bad seasons recently, but their defense under Schwartz was consistently one of the best.
Related
Brian Flores
If you can’t beat him, hire him? The Cowboys’ offense was one of the best in the NFL this season, but they were mystified and thrown off their game in the loss to the Minnesota Vikings. That’s because Flores, as defensive coordinator, kept the Cowboys and quarterback Dak Prescott guessing. Prescott even said that game was one of the more frustrating performances he’s had because they knew what to expect from Flores and they still couldn’t adjust to Flores’ Cover 0, blitz-heavy attack. Flores could be a head coach candidate. If he’s not, he’s also a coaching free agent. His contract in Minnesota is up. Would he consider not re-signing with the Vikings and instead becoming a defensive coordinator elsewhere if a head coaching job doesn’t come along? The Cowboys should find out.
Jeff Ulbrich
Ulbrich is another defensive coordinator on the market because of a head coach firing. Ulbrich spent this past season as the Falcons defensive coordinator. Before that he helped lead a stingy New York Jets defense alongside Robert Saleh, who was the team’s head coach in New York. Ulbrich also has experience with current Cowboys defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton. The Cowboys really wanted continuity in their defense. Hiring Ulbrich and keeping Whitecotton could help provide that.
Raheem Morris
Instead of Ulbrich, how about the guy that was his head coach this season? The Falcons fired Morris on Sunday after two seasons. Prior to that he was the defensive coordinator with the Los Angeles Rams. He’s been coaching defense in the NFL since 2007, including multiple head coaching jobs.
Jim Leonhard
Leonhard is perhaps the most intriguing name on this list. Leonhard hasn’t been a full-time defensive coordinator yet, but he’s known as an up-and-coming candidate. He was a standout safety at Wisconsin who played in the NFL from 2005-14. Three years later, he became the defensive coordinator at his alma mater. After a successful stint there, and after a brief stint at Illinois, he was hired onto the Broncos staff. He became the team’s defensive pass game coordinator this season. The Cowboys saw firsthand how good the Broncos defense played against them. If they go for someone who is not a former head coach, Leonhard should be at the top of their list.
Leslie Frazier
The Cowboys interviewed Frazier last year for their head coaching job before they hired Schottenheimer. Frazier then became the assistant head coach for the Seattle Seahawks. That team had one of the best defenses in the NFL this season. Could Frazier bring some of that to Dallas?
Mike Pettine
It wouldn’t be shocking to see that the Cowboys pursue Pettine for similar reasons to why they could pursue Flores. Pettine is also in Minnesota, working as the Vikings’ assistant head coach and outside linebackers coach. Pettine would also fit the requirement of being a former head coach.
Cory Undlin
Texas was home to the worst scoring defense in the NFL, in terms of points allowed, and nearly the best. We know which one was the Cowboys and which one was the Houston Texans. Undlin helped lead that Houston defense, working as the team’s defensive passing game coordinator. He’s worked in the NFL since 2004, but has had only one season as a full-time defensive coordinator, doing so in Detroit in 2020. Could Schottenheimer see some of himself in Undlin?
Aaron Whitecotton
Whitecotton is perhaps the only potential in-house candidate because he’s one of the only assistants not tied to Eberflus. The Cowboys also had the chance to experiment with Whitecotton going to a larger role when they moved Eberflus from the sideline to the coaching box upstairs, making Whitecotton the go-to voice for the defense on the sideline. This feels like a long shot, considering he’s never been a defensive coordinator, but it would be interesting.