Cowboys and Mike Zimmer agree on a reunion as defensive coordinator
The Dallas Cowboys have settled on a coaching reunion by deciding to bring back Mike Zimmer as defensive coordinator to replace Dan Quinn.
Zimmer is rejoining the Cowboys 18 years after serving in the same role for Dallas. He later spent eight years as Minnesota’s head coach. The Cowboys and Zimmer reached an agreement on Monday.
The Cowboys had an opening after Quinn accepted the head coaching job in Washington. Quinn replaced Ron Rivera, one of the coaches Dallas interviewed to take over for Quinn.
Quinn spent three seasons with the Cowboys, quickly turning around one of the worst defenses in franchise history after Mike Nolan was fired following one season with coach Mike McCarthy.
The 67-year-old Zimmer spent 14 years as a defensive coordinator before taking over the Vikings in 2014. The first seven of those seasons were with the Cowboys before one in Atlanta and six with Cincinnati.
Zimmer’s debut as defensive coordinator in Dallas was in 2000, the first of three 5-11 seasons under former coach Dave Campo. Zimmer remained on the staff after Bill Parcells was hired, and the Cowboys made the playoffs twice in the next four seasons.
McCarthy will be the fifth Cowboys coach that Zimmer will work for, having been on the staffs of Barry Switzer and Chan Gailey as a defensive assistant before his first stint as a coordinator.
