Cowboys interviewing recently fired head coach for open DC spot

The Dallas Cowboys missed the playoffs for the second straight year after posting back-to-back seven-win seasons. Following the disappointing campaign, the Cowboys fired Matt Eberflus after one season as the team’s defensive coordinator. Now Jerry Jones and company are on the hunt for a replacement.

Former Arizona Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon is believed to be in the mix for Dallas’ defensive coordinator gig. The Cardinals fired Gannon after three subpar seasons. But despite his disappointing run in the desert, Gannon will interview for the Cowboys’ coordinator job on Tuesday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Several teams have shown interest in Gannon since he was let go by the Cardinals. In addition to the Cowboys, Gannon is scheduled to meet with the Washington Commanders and Tennessee Titans this week, according to Rapoport.

Cowboys consider Jonathan Gannon for coordinator role

Before being named the Cardinals’ head coach in 2023, Gannon spent two seasons as the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive coordinator. In his second year with Philly, the Eagles boasted the NFL’s No. 2 defense by total yards allowed. The defensive dominance helped Philadelphia reach the Super Bowl that season.

Gannon could not duplicate that same success with Arizona. He went 15-36 as the Cardinals’ head coach, failing to reach the playoffs in each of his three seasons at the helm.

The Cowboys missed the playoffs for the second straight year this season. Dallas’ defense disappointed under Eberflus, allowing a league-worst 30.1 points per game. Gannon’s Cardinals defense ranked 29th, coughing up 28.7 yards per contest in 2025.

In addition to Gannon, Dallas expressed interest in interviewing Jeff Ulbrich for the defensive coordinator role. However the Atlanta Falcons denied the Cowboys permission to meet with the veteran coach.

Brian Schottenheimer has talked up Jim Leonhard, fueling speculation that the Denver Broncos’ assistant is the favorite for the DC job. Leonhard had a virtual interview with Dallas over the weekend. However, the Cowboys will have to wait for Denver to finish its playoff run before taking things to the next level with the former NFL safety-turned-coach.

The post Cowboys interviewing recently fired head coach for open DC spot appeared first on ClutchPoints.