Mike Zimmer hasn’t even been formally announced yet as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, but he’s already got a new spot on his staff to fill.
Defensive line coach Aden Durde will be leaving Dallas to become the next defensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, according to a Friday afternoon report from NFL insider Tom Pelissero.
The 44-year-old had interviewed for a promotion to the defensive coordinator role in Dallas after Dan Quinn left to take over the Commanders.
The #Seahawks plan to hire Aden Durde as their defensive coordinator, per source.
Born in England, Durde played in NFL Europe and the NFL before embarking on a coaching career. Now, at age 44, he takes a big role on Mike Macdonald’s staff in Seattle. pic.twitter.com/rLHjppPUX6
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) February 9, 2024
The English-born Durde coached under Quinn for three seasons in Atlanta before joining his Cowboys staff in 2021.
He’ll now take over the defensive side of things for new Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald. The 36-year-old Macdonald has said that he plans to retain defensive play-calling duties on game day. Leslie Frazier, the longtime defensive-minded coaching veteran, is also on staff in Seattle as an assistant head coach.
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Durde has been considered an up-and-comer within the league’s coaching ranks, participating in both the Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship early in his career and the Coach Accelerator program last spring.
In Dallas, Zimmer will now look to install a new defensive line coach to replace Durde and a new defensive passing game coordinator to replace Joe Whitt Jr., who followed Quinn to Washington for the defensive coordinator role there.
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