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The Cowboys have their man in Christian Parker.
The Dallas Cowboys have agreed to a deal to make Christian Parker their defensive coordinator, a source told ESPN on Thursday.
Parker, 34, has spent the past two seasons as the Philadelphia Eagles‘ passing game coordinator and secondary coach. He has worked under Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio since 2021 when they were with the Denver Broncos.
He helped develop Eagles cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean into Pro Bowlers in their second seasons while also getting productivity from veterans like Darius Slay, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship. DeJean was effusive in his praise of Parker on X, writing “wouldn’t be the player I am without Coach CP.”
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said he was looking for a good teacher and communicator as their defensive coordinator and interviewed nine candidates. At the season-ending news conference, owner and general manager Jerry Jones said previous head coaching experience would not be a prerequisite.
More on the Cowboys new hire at defensive coordinator.
Super Bowl champs
After an impressive three seasons with the Broncos’ defense in which he helped develop Patrick Surtain II from a rookie top-10 pick into an All-Pro cornerback, Parker was on the move again. This time he signed on with Cowboys’ NFC East rival Philadelphia, the Eagles hiring Parker as their DBs coach and passing game coordinator to work directly underneath defensive guru Vic Fangio. Parker had worked with Fangio in Denver as well.
With the help of Parker, Fangio and a dynamic All-Pro duo at corner in Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean, the Eagles won the franchise’s second Super Bowl last season. Parker was seen as a “secret weapon” of sorts in the Eagles’ defensive room.
“He’s one of those coaches that gets his players,” Eagles’ safety Reed Blankenship said last season. “Yeah, he’s a little young, but I’d much rather have a young coach like that because he understands us. And there’s no barrier between us or him. We’re going with the flow. Communicates all the time. Comes to the sideline — something happens — and we’re always talking.”
Eagles aren’t happy
So it only makes sense that the Eagles seem a little bummed upon Parker’s hiring by their division rival Dallas.
“Mannnn, they got a great one,” DeJean posted on social media after news of Parker’s hiring was announced, along with a sadface and a salute. “Wouldn’t be the player I am without Coach CP.”
The question of keeping defensive assistants just got real with the hire of Christian Parker.
*Is the new defensive coordinator going to have a new defensive line coach and other coaches...
