Mike Zimmer Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports

Cowboys interviewing former assistant for open defensive coordinator position

By Eric Smithling | Last updated 2/3/24

The Cowboys could turn to a familiar face as their next defensive coordinator.

On Saturday, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Mike Zimmer, the former Vikings head coach who also served as Cowboys defensive coordinator from 2000-2006, is interviewing for the job.

Former Vikings’ head coach Mike Zimmer, who last worked in the NFL in 2021, is meeting with the Cowboys about their defensive coordinator job, per league sources.

Zimmer and Dallas are quite familiar with each other; Zimmer worked as an assistant coach in Dallas from 1994-2006. pic.twitter.com/hAyQiDdgAk
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 3, 2024

As Schefter notes, Zimmer last coached in 2021, his last season with Minnesota. He spent eight seasons as Vikings head coach and went 72-56-1.

His defenses (Zimmer also was defensive coordinator for the Falcons and Bengals) have finished in the top 10 in either total defense or scoring defense 12 times. His best season as Cowboys' defensive coordinator was in 2003 when Dallas finished first in yards allowed and second in points allowed.

The report of Zimmer's interview comes after Dallas Morning News' Calvin Watkins noted on Thursday that Zimmer was interested in the Cowboys opening.

Former Vikings HC and Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer is interested in the current vacant Cowboys gig a person with knowledge of his thinking said.
— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) February 2, 2024

The job became vacant when Dan Quinn accepted the head coaching gig with the Commanders.

The Cowboys ranked fifth in both scoring defense and total defense in 2023 but flamed out in the wild-card round, allowing 415 total yards to the Packers in a 48-32 loss.

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