Blogging The Boys
The Cowboys get judged on process just as much as results when it comes to coaching hires, which has made the latest defensive coordinator search interesting.
The list of known candidates for the position formerly occupied by Matt Eberflus is now up to six. Vikings pass game coordinator Daronte Jones and Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda interviewed on Friday; Broncos pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard met with the team on Saturday. Current Cowboys defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton made his case on Monday.
Dallas is now scheduled to interview former Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, as well as Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr on Tuesday.
Gannon had been the skipper in Arizona since the 2023 season. Despite a dismal 15-36 record overall, Gannon notched two of his signature wins over the Cowboys. The first came in 2023’s Week 3, with the Cardinals pounding a depleted Cowboys squad 28-16 in a game that was never as close as the score suggested. It was Gannon’s first win as a head coach.
The Cards did it again in Week 9 this season, embarrassing Dallas by a 27-17 count behind backup quarterback Jacoby Brissett in front of a Monday night primetime audience. It would, coincidentally, be Gannon’s final win as Arizona’s head coach, as the team lost their final nine contests of the season.Expert NFL picks: Exclusive betting insights only at USA TODAY.
The 43-year-old was fired last Monday but is expected to be a popular interview for several open positions around the league, including Washington’s defensive coordinator role and Tennessee’s head coaching gig.
The playoffs so far have proven that coaching matters, as the Cowboys continue to work their staff going into year two under Brian Schottenheimer.
First year head coach Brian Schottenheimer did manage to invigorate the Cowboys’ offense in 2025. Dak Prescott had perhaps his best season yet. Dallas had a pair of thousand-yard receivers in CeeDee Lamb and a 1,000-yard rusher in Javonte Williams. The Cowboys scored 471 points for the season, the fourth highest in the team’s 66 seasons in the NFL.
The offense wasn’t the issue. The defense clearly was though, giving up the most points in franchise history at 511. Which is why defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus was fired last week.
The Three Amigos
With Schottenheimer calling the plays, offensive coordinator Klayton Adams could focus on improving the Cowboys’ rushing attack. Adams had been an offensive line coach with the Colts and Cardinals since 2019. He made those teams’ running games rock solid. He did it again this year in Dallas.
Ken Dorsey joined Dallas as a pass game specialist this year after serving as an offensive coordinator in Buffalo and Cleveland. Prescott’s...
