The Cowboys could hire a familiar face as their next defensive coordinator.
On Saturday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that Mike Zimmer, the former Vikings head coach who also served as Cowboys defensive coordinator from 2000 to 2006, is interviewing for the position.
Former Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, who last coached in the NFL in 2021, is interviewing with the Cowboys about the defensive coordinator position, according to league sources.
As Schefter points out, Zimmer last coached in 2021, his final season with Minnesota. He led the Vikings to a 72-56-1 record over eight seasons.
Zimmer’s defenses (he also served as defensive coordinator for the Falcons and Bengals) have finished in the top ten in total or scoring defense 12 times. His best season as Cowboys defensive coordinator came in 2003, when the team finished first in yards allowed and second in points allowed.
The story of Zimmer’s interview comes after Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News mentioned on Thursday that Zimmer was interested in the Cowboys opening.
Dan Quinn took over as head coach of the Commanders, leaving the position vacant.
In 2023, the Cowboys were seventh in both scoring defense and overall defense, but they faltered in the wild-card round, giving up 415 total yards to the Packers in a 48-32 loss.
