The Cowboys’ defense now has a new coordinator. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Mike Zimmer will be joining Dallas as their new defensive coordinator following an agreement between the two parties on Monday.
The #Cowboys and Mike Zimmer have agreed to terms. Dallas has its new DC. https://t.co/b1WCTo7Njp
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 12, 2024
This hiring follows a strange day in which Rex Ryan, a former coach for the Jets and the Bills, expressed uncertainty about whether or not Ryan would be hired and even suggested that he would still be considered for the position.
Zimmer is making a triumphant return to the Cowboys after spending almost a decade there in various coaching roles, including defensive coordinator, defensive backs coach, and assistant defensive coach.
After eight seasons with the Vikings, he was fired in 2021 and hasn’t coached in the NFL since. The 67-year-old is highly regarded for his expertise in defensive strategy and was the third-winningest head coach in Vikings history.
When Zimmer was the head coach in Minnesota, the Vikings finished 74–59-1 overall and 2-3 in postseason play. In 2022 and 2023, respectively, after his expulsion, he worked as an analyst for Colorado State and Jackson State.
During a broadcast on the network on Saturday, ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter said that the Cowboys had hired Zimmer in the days leading up to Sunday’s Super Bowl 2024 in Las Vegas.
The Cowboys had “loved him” after his interview, but it stunned Schefter when ESPN NFL analyst Ryan didn’t land the job. Nevertheless, the former NFL head coach cast doubt on the notion that Zimmer had already signed, returning his gaze to Ryan seated at the desk.
On Monday, Schefter appeared on “The Pat McAfee Show” and retracted his earlier claims that the sale was finalized. “Since Mike Zimmer’s deal is still not finalized, they contacted Rex after that.
They contacted him fifteen minutes before that segment to ask, ‘Hey, any chance of this?'” That is the source of the misunderstanding. According to Schefter, the arrangement with Zimmer is still ongoing as of Monday. immer succeeds Dan Quinn, who departed last offseason to become the head coach of the Commanders, as the former DC.
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