The Dallas Cowboys have made a decision regarding their vacant defensive coordinator position after Dan Quinn departed earlier this month to become the Washington Commanders’ head coach.
It shouldn’t be a surprise who head coach Mike McCarthy and owner Jerry Jones went with.
According to NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero, former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer will take over for Quinn in Big D.
Zimmer, 67, was a top-end candidate for the opening. The likes of Rex Ryan and former Commanders head coach Ron Rivera were also known finalists.
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Zimmer’s NFL coaching career started as an assistant coach with the Cowboys back in 1994. He was a member of the coaching stuff under a head coach in Barry Switzer that led Dallas to its last Super Bowl title following the 1995 season.
He served as the team’s defensive coordinator from 2000-06 under both Dave Campo and the legendary Bill Parcells. That span saw Zimmer lead just one top-10 defense.
With that said, Zimmer is a respected mind around the NFL world. He led Minnesota to a solid 72-56-1 record as its head coach from 2014-21. That included three playoff appearances.
One has to wonder if this hiring puts McCarthy on notice. Jones had previously said he’d be sitting in on defensive coordinator interviews. Following Dallas’ blowout loss to the Packers in the NFL Wild Card Playoffs, McCarthy is firmly on the hot seat.