MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - OCTOBER 31: Head coach Mike Zimmer of the Minnesota Vikings looks on prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at U.S. Bank Stadium on October 31, 2021 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
DALLAS - The Dallas Cowboys are reportedly set to bring back a familiar face to be their next defensive coordinator.
Reports claim the team has decided to re-hire Mike Zimmer for a second stint with the team.
Zimmer has a lot of NFL coaching experience with different teams.
The 67-year-old spent 13 seasons on the Dallas coaching staff, including six as the key defensive coordinator.
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He was most recently the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and ended his tenure there as the team’s third-winningest coach in Vikings’ history.
At Thursday night’s NFL Honors Award Ceremony, Jerry Jones hinted at Zimmer’s hiring without naming names.
"I’ve been on the phone all afternoon with our future defensive coach. We’re excited about that. We’ve been working all the way flying out here on that. And so, that’s the first place to start is get that staff going. And believe you men, no one in the world is more appreciative of how much we let the fans down by not getting it done against Green Bay. We’ve got to change that. And we’ll do everything," he said.
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For the past few seasons, the defense has generally been a bright spot for the Cowboys. It’s been ranked in the NFL’s top six for the past five seasons.
However, there was somewhat of a collapse in the team’s most recent playoff loss against the Packers. The defense gave up 48 points.
So, it will be up to the team’s new defensive coordinator to build on a solid foundation and make the necessary adjustments.
The official announcement about Zimmer's hiring could come later on Friday.