The Dallas Cowboys have been making significant changes to their coaching staff. The first major move was the hiring of Brian Schottenheimer as the new head coach on a four-year contract. With Mike Zimmer not returning, the next major challenge was filling the defensive coordinator position.

The Cowboys are known for promoting from within their network, which likely influenced their decision to hire Schottenheimer. They’re continuing this trend with the defensive coordinator hire, bringing in former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.

Eberflus served as the Cowboys’ linebackers coach from 2011 to 2015, and from 2016 to 2017, he added the role of pass game coordinator. He spent the following four years as the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts. Eberflus made an immediate impact, transforming a defense that ranked 30th in both scoring and total defense. By 2018, the Colts had improved to 10th in scoring defense (21.5 points per game) and 11th in total defense (339.4 yards per game). Additionally, their passing defense rose from 28th to 16th (237.8 yards per game).

Over the next three seasons, the Colts finished 16th in total defense twice (2019, 2021) and climbed to 8th in 2020. Eberflus consistently had the Colts performing in the top half of the league in total defense, which is a solid foundation for any team. The Cowboys’ front office will need to provide him with key players, particularly through the NFL draft, as they tend to avoid signing major free agents. Positions like defensive tackle, defensive end, linebacker, and cornerback need immediate attention.

Under Dan Quinn, the Cowboys were a strong defensive team, but performance slipped under Zimmer, though not entirely due to his fault. Now, Eberflus will be tasked with restoring the defense to a higher level to help make the Cowboys a more competitive team in 2025 and beyond.