Al Harris Is the Logical Cowboys DC Reset in 2026

Dallas once led the NFL in secondary takeaways under Al Harris. The coverage, scheme fit, and communication issues today point to Harris as the logical DC fix if Dallas resets.

Matt Eberflus’ Structure Had a Shaky Foundation

When the Cowboys hired Matt Eberflus to run the defense, the pitch was structure, discipline, and a system that could elevate the talent already in the building.

Instead, we saw regression, and most of it landed exactly where the Cowboys fans didn’t expect it to, at the feet of the secondary.

And that’s the irony I can’t shake.

I’ve watched Dallas build one of the best secondaries in football. It was not in some distant era a decade ago, but just two seasons ago. The time was when Al Harris was in charge of that room.

So let me say this clearly, in the only voice that makes sense for a column like this:

If the Cowboys move on from Eberflus after this season, Al Harris is the logical reset.

I don’t want this to be a feel-good story because he was who the fans wanted to take over two seasons ago. But because the biggest defensive issues in Dallas right now are the same ones Harris’ already fixed once.

Harris Built A Strength In Dallas

From 2020 to 2024, Harris coached the Cowboys defensive backs, and in that window, Dallas didn’t just improve in coverage, it led the NFL in ball production from the secondary:

• 2021: Trevon Diggs led the NFL with 11 interceptions
• 2023: DaRon Bland became an All-Pro, breaking the NFL record for interceptions returned for touchdowns (5) and 9 interceptions overall

When I think back on those defenses, I don’t just remember the picks, I remember the identity:

• Press-man confidence
• Technique at the line of scrimmage
• Eyes on the quarterback
• Constant back-end communication
• Turnovers are treated like a core principle, not a bonus stat

That wasn’t luck, it was coaching.

That was Al Harris.

Former #Cowboys DB coach Al Harris getting praise from Ben Johnson.pic.twitter.com/A3injzwtcL

— Brandon Loree (@Brandoniswrite) December 26, 2025

Then I Watched 2025 Happen

Fast-forward to this season, and the story flipped:

• No Dallas corner has led the league in any catergory
• No All-Pro corners
• Communication breakdowns
• In-game confusion
• A scheme that looks disconnected from the personnel

And that is what I keep coming back to. The talent didn’t vanish. The fit did.

The secondary players did not forget how to track the ball or play the catch point, they were placed in a scheme that did not match their strengths.

That has been the loudest criticism from analysts and fans.

The Fix Doesn’t Need to Be a Reinvention

I don’t believe Dallas needs another defensive rebuild, or identity. The defense needs its old one back.

The path back is obvious to me because I’ve already seen it work with most of the same...