The Dallas Cowboys are filling out their coaching staff under new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer. Head coach Mike McCarthy may return, but the coaching staff will look significantly different in 2024.
Many of these changes are the result of former defensive coordinator Dan Quinn taking the head coaching job with the Washington Commanders. The Cowboys are bringing back a familiar face in former Pro Bowl pass rusher Greg Ellis as the team's assistant defensive line coach.
DallasCowboys.com's Nick Harris said in a Feb. 16, 2024 message to ”, elaborated in a message from X on February 16, 2024. After playing at the University of Texas and SAGU, he would get his first NFL opportunity with the team where he started his NFL career in 1998. ”
Additionally, Dallas hired Commanders defensive line coach Jeff Zgonina. The veteran coach will serve in the same role on the Cowboys' staff.
Like Ellis, Zgonina is also a former player who played for the Rams, Dolphins, Steelers, Panthers, Falcons, Texans and Colts. Zgonier was a member of the Rams team that won the Super Bowl in 1999.
Cowboys news: Dallas hires former Bengals and Raiders defensive coordinator Paul Guenther
Dallas also hired Paul Guenther as the team's defensive run game coordinator. Guenther is a longtime NFL coach and served as defensive coordinator for the Cincinnati Bengals and Las Vegas Raiders. The coach previously coached with Zimmer at Cincinnati and Minnesota.
“The Cowboys have hired Paul Gunther as their defensive run game coordinator, a person familiar with the decision said,” Michael Gehrken of the Dallas Morning News detailed in a Feb. 16 message for X. Ta. “This is a big move that DC Mike Zimmer has been eyeing for years, and he's an excellent top assistant and has tremendous confidence in him. Guenther is a former Bengals and Raiders DC.”
New Cowboys assistant Greg Ellis was selected to the Pro Bowl with Dallas in 2007.
Ellis' selection is particularly noteworthy given his years of experience as a starter for the Cowboys. Dallas selected Ellis with the eighth pick in the 1998 NFL Draft.
Ellis spent 11 of his 12 NFL seasons as a starter with the Cowboys, all while in Big D. The former defensive end had a career-high 12.5 sacks, 11 quarterback hits and three forced fumbles in 2007. In the 2007 season, his pass rusher was nominated for the only Pro Bowl.
New Dallas Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer is making changes to the organization used by Dan Quinn.
The addition of Gunter may seem trivial, but it's a small change for Dallas. Gunter will focus on protecting the run for Zimmer's staff, which hasn't been a strength for the Cowboys in recent years. Quinn opted to use Joe Whitt Jr. as the passing game coordinator in his previous personnel structure.
“I said this week on @TalkinCowboys that it would be much more beneficial for Mike Zimmer's staff to have a run game or pass rush specialist instead of a passing game coordinator (a role vacated by Joe Witt Jr.) ” Harris elaborated on X. We pulled the trigger on that idea and hired Paul Guenther today. ”
