Cowboys will interview fired head coach with connection to division rival for DC job

Mike Moraitis

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Cowboys will interview fired head coach with connection to division rival for DC job image

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The search for the next Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator is on and it will include a recently fired head coach who has a connection to a division rival.

According to ESPN's Todd Archer, the Cowboys will interview former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon, who was cut loose on Jan. 5.

Archer adds that Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Zach Orr is also on the list of candidates for Dallas.

"As the Cowboys continue their DC search this week, they will interview former Arizona head coach Jonathan Gannon and Baltimore defensive coordinator Zach Orr (a UNT grad) this week, per multiple sources," Archer wrote.

Of course, Cowboys fans know Gannon well, as he was previously the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles before taking the Cardinals job in 2023.

Gannon's most impressive campaign as the defensive play-caller for the Eagles was in 2022, when the team finished second in total yards allowed, eighth in points and first against the pass en route to making it to the Super Bowl

Gannon was poached by the Cardinals in 2023 and spent three seasons with the team, posting an abysmal 15-36 record before getting canned.

The Cowboys have a long history of hiring defensive coordinators with head coach experience and Gannon fits that mold, so he should be considered a legit candidate for Dallas.

Cowboys' list of head coach interviews

The list comes from Archer:

  • Minnesota pass game coordinator Daronte Jones
  • Cleveland safeties coach Ephraim Banda
  • Denver asst. HC/pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard
  • Dallas DL coach Aaron Whitecotton
  • Arizona HC Jonathan Gannon
  • Baltimore DC Zach Orr

The Cowboys also requested to interview Falcons defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich, but were denied.

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Editorial Team