The Dallas Cowboys kept some continuity by promoting offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to replace former head coach Mike McCarthy. Now, Schottenheimer is turning to a familiar face on the defensive side of the ball as he begins to fill out his coaching staff.
The Cowboys hired former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus to be their new defensive coordinator, the team announced Tuesday.
Eberflus has experience in Dallas, as he spent the 2011-17 seasons on Jason Garrett’s staff. He was a linebackers coach in each of those seasons and helped Sean Lee and Anthony Hitchens produce some of the best seasons of their careers under his tutelage. Eberflus earned a promotion, also taking on the role of passing game coordinator in his final two seasons, before taking the defensive coordinator job with the Indianapolis Colts in 2018.
Eberflus’ tenure in Indianapolis got off to a rocky start, as he signed his contract thinking Josh McDaniels would be the team’s head coach. McDaniels later backed out of the role, leaving Eberflus in flux, but he stayed aboard in that role and reaped the rewards.
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The Colts had a top-10 scoring defense in three of Eberflus’ four seasons in Indianapolis. He parlayed that success into Chicago’s head coaching job but struggled to a 14-32 record in two-plus seasons with the Bears.
Eberflus, 54, will now return to the Cowboys as Dallas’ third defensive coordinator in as many seasons. In 2023, Mike Zimmer struggled to replicate the success enjoyed by Dan Quinn’s defenses, as the Cowboys ranked 28th in yards allowed and 31st in points allowed.
Zimmer, 68, told reporters Monday he expects to retire from coaching in the NFL, opening the door for Eberflus.
Now, Eberflus will look to get the Cowboys back on course. His track record should excite Dallas fans hoping to see Micah Parsons and DeMarvion Overshown remain on an upward trajectory.
