The Dallas Cowboys decided for a defensive overhaul this offseason, and recently tabbed a coach from a rival organization to help jumpstart year two under Brian Schottenheimer.
To fill the defensive coordinator spot, Schottenheimer went to one of the most studied defensive unit in the NFL right now in the Eagles, where they tabbed former Philly defensive backs coach and pass game coordinator Christian Parker as their new defensive play caller.
At just 34, Parker is the youngest coordinator in Dallas Cowboys history. He won the job over nine other known candidates that interviewed and has spent just seven seasons in the league before landing his first coordinator opportunity.
Former Tennessee defensive coordinator Derrick Ansley also recently joined the staff after stints with the Chargers and Packers, per multiple reports, and the Cowboys also recently parted ways with three assistants on the defensive side of the ball in defensive pass game coordinator / safeties coach Andre Curtis, secondary / corners coach David Overstreet II and linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi.
To fill one of those posts, Todd Archer shares a member of Kirby Smart’s staff at Georgia is getting an interview.
Archer shares tonight that the Cowboys are scheduled to have an in-person interview with Bulldogs outside linebackers coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe tomorrow.
A former defensive lineman at Colorado before one season in the NFL with the Saints, Uzo-Diribe started his coaching career at his alma mater as a graduate assistant before moving on to Kansas in a defensive quality control role in 2019.
Just one season later, in 2020, Uzo-Diribe was elevated to outside linebackers coach.
In 2021, he left for the opportunity to coach the defensive line at SMU, and spent a season with the Mustangs before brifely taking the defensive line job at TCU under Sonny Dykes before the chance at Georgia came about.
The opportunity to join Kirby Smart’s staff in Athens popped up just before the 2022 season, and Uzo-Diribe has been a staple on the Bulldogs defense ever since.
In his first two seasons on staff at Georgia, the Bulldogs defense ranked 4th and 5th nationally in scoring defense, before a dip to 38th in 2024, and a slight rebound inside the top 30 to 28th this past season.
Schottenheimer recently wrapped up a 7-9 debut seaosn leading the Cowboys, filled with plenty of ups and downs.