Tag: Mike Zimmer

Mike Zimmer should be Yin to Mike McCarthy’s Cowboys Yang

Given McCarthy and Quinn were players’ coaches, a disciplinarian like Mike Zimmer is exactly what the Cowboys need to clean up mistakes. So says @ReidDHanson.

Balance is important in leadership, and hopefully for the Cowboys, Mike Zimmer’s addition as defensive coordinator can restore some to the Dallas’ dynamic. By all accounts, the Cowboys roster loves Mike McCarthy. The four-year head coach has endeared himself to the locker room as a leader and as a friend.

Too many tough guys and the troops may revolt. Too many softies and the troops may never take leadership seriously. This good cop/bad cop routine works in crimefighting, battle, parenthood and even coaching.

Dallas’ former defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn, had a similar role on the team. Quinn was often seen as one of the guys. He had a knack for relating to players and communicating on a player level. There’s nothing wrong with this style of coaching. Being labeled a “players coach” is actually a compliment in most cases. It’s just when there’s too many players’ coaches and not enough disciplinarians, things have a tendency to get sloppy.

Sloppy and undisciplined are two adjectives that accurately describe the Cowboys’ defense from 2023. Players routinely abandoned their assignments. They missed their run fits and botched their coverage. They sporadically reverted to hero ball, playing run-and-chase rather than execute the actual assignment. It led to a lot of momentum-driven results where one week they would look like the best defense in the NFL, and the next week they resembled the worst defense in the history of mankind.

The addition of Zimmer should change that.

In many ways, Zimmer is the opposite of the man he replaces in Dallas. He’s not dapping players up in practice or even offering up a welcoming smile. Based on his history, he’s not trying to relate or be a friend either. Zimmer is an old school disciplinarian. He’s going to bark orders. He’s going to teach, correct, and hold players accountable.

McCarthy, who resides on the Quinn side of the spectrum, could use a tough authority figure in his locker room. With any luck, some of that toughness could trickle down to the other corners of the team.

There’s no instruction manual explaining the best way to effectively coach NFL players because every player is different, and every situation is different. But throughout his time in Dallas and later Minnesota, Zimmer has effectively coached all brands and personality types and found success with most of them. Much like with the great Bill Parcells, players didn’t always like Zimmer while they played for him, but they certainly appreciated him after the fact.

Zimmer is bringing a culture change to Dallas. It’s something this team has been missing for some time now and should be the perfect complement to McCarthy’s player friendly style.

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Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer gets stamp of approval from HoF coach Bill Parcells

From @ToddBrock24f7: The HoF coach spent 4 promising seasons with Zimmer as his DC in Dallas; Parcells says Zimmer will bring a familiar style back to the Boys.

Bill Parcells retired from coaching in 2006. But the Hall of Famer’s opinion still carries a great deal of weight around the league, and the two-time Super Bowl champ and two-time Coach of the Year has given his blessing to the Cowboys’ (re)hire of defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer.

Zimmer was in his tenth year on staff in Dallas and already had a Super Bowl ring when Parcells came out of his second retirement to take over the foundering team. The two appeared that they might be diametrically opposed to one another, with Zimmer a long fan of the 4-3 defense and Parcells having traditionally run a 3-4 scheme.

But Parcells not only kept Zimmer in place as Cowboys defensive coordinator, he allowed Zimmer to keep running his 4-3. The Dallas defense, led by Greg Ellis, La’Roi Glover, Dexter Coakley, Dat Nguyen, Roy Williams, and Darren Woodson (in his final season), finished as the top unit in the league. The Cowboys, after three straight 5-11 seasons, went 10-6 and earned a playoff slot.

Parcells, it turns out, had seen something he liked early on in Zimmer.

“He’s a coach’s son, and I always liked that because they lived it at the dinner table when they were young,” Parcells said per ESPN’s Todd Archer. “[Bill] Belichick was the same way. That’s the kind of guys they were. But I got to like Mike and we’ve become good friends.”

The two friends still talk frequently.

“He’s a football guy,” Parcells says of Zimmer. “He likes the game. He’s committed to doing a good job. He’s not lazy at all. That’s good.”

Sensing Zimmer’s ability to adapt, Parcells began to show some 3-4 tendencies in his second season at the helm. By the 2005 season and with another draft class hand-picked as part of the master plan, the Cowboys had fully implemented the 3-4 for the first time in franchise history. Under Zimmer, who had no previous experience with 3-4 personnel, the group finished in the top 10 defensively. The team went 9-7.

Another 9-7 record and another wild-card berth followed in 2006. That squad, thought to be early Super Bowl contenders, saw their championship hopes dashed when new quarterback Tony Romo bobbled the hold on a potential game-winning field goal in Seattle.

Parcells retired (a third and final time) at season’s end; Zimmer moved on to a defensive coordinator’s role in Atlanta. He’s since done that same job in Cincinnati, too, and then spent eight years as head coach in Minnesota.

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But now that he’s back in Dallas for a second stint as DC, Parcells expects today’s Cowboys players to get the same old Zimm’, although he warns that guys expecting to have their egos propped up with sugar-coated platitudes are in for a culture shock.

“He’s himself,” Parcells explained. “That’s what he does. That’s what people that get along with players are. They don’t say you have to get along, but players respect people who are straightforward, to the point, and trying to help them get better. He’s the best with them. And the ones that don’t like the truth are probably going to have a problem.”

And if Zimmer brings back even a little bit of that fiery “Tuna” attitude, most fans probably won’t mind at all.

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Cowboys News: Zimmer reveals his plan, Giants deny access to DL coach

Dallas Cowboys roundup of Mike Zimmer press conference, Super Bowl analytics, and coaching changes. | From @ArmyChiefW3

The idea of Mike Zimmer as the new defensive coordinator of the Cowboys is starting to sink in and has been solidified by his words at his introductory press conference. One thing that will undoubtedly accompany him to Dallas is a zero-tolerance policy. Gone are the days of the man with the backward hat and the future holds a more fundamentally sound approach. The rules of football have not changed but the defense will look different from what everyone has been accustomed to.

One custom that has long been celebrated is the Super Bowl. Behind all of the glitz and glamour the game brings, the two teams may have left behind a blueprint that can reveal the secret to their success. On social media, Cowboys fans puffed their chests out when the team denied Washington permission to speak with Cowboys assistant Al Harris. While they did lose someone else, the favor was returned by another NFC East rival. Lastly, the Dallas Cowboys lost a family member recently as former lineman Tony Hutson has passed away. All that and much more in this edition of Cowboys news and notes.

Cowboys, Mike Zimmer come to terms after 11th-hour drama

From @ToddBrock24f7: Despite some uncertainty over Super Bowl Weekend, the Cowboys have finally reached an agreement with their new defensive coordinator.

The Cowboys have come to terms with Mike Zimmer to be their new defensive coordinator, apparently ending a multi-day saga that had some wondering if the team was going to go a different direction after an eleventh-hour change of heart.

Zimmer confirmed the news Monday afternoon to longtime Cowboys reporter Ed Werder. Former Cowboys scout Bryan Broaddus also confirmed the development, saying on 105.3 The Fan that he had received a text from Zimmer. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero’s post to X (formerly Twitter) made it three rock-solid sources.

It shouldn’t have taken all that, but it is the never-ending circus otherwise known as the Dallas Cowboys, after all.

Word of Zimmer’s hire had originally been leaked on Thursday night, with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones admitting from the red carpet at NFL Honors that the team had decided on their man, though he didn’t name names at the time.

The team even posted news of Zimmer’s “expected” hiring to their official website that same evening, but with the eyes of the league on Las Vegas and Super Bowl LVIII, nothing else happened until Sunday.

That’s when ESPN analyst Rex Ryan, who had interviewed with Dallas for the same job earlier in the week, reminded a national audience that no official announcement had yet been made. He even seemed to make a last-minute sales pitch to the Cowboys for his own services, stating, “I figured I could make maybe even a little of an upgrade.”

By Monday morning, the lack of an actual deal- and the possibility of a dramatic flip-flop- had become the story. NFL insider Adam Schefter explained on The Pat McAfee Show that the Cowboys had reached back out to Ryan as late as Sunday to gauge his interest and even talk numbers.

“Rex could, conceivably, still be in play,” Schefter said.

Whether there was legitimate back-and-forth over contract details, a last bit of leveraging going on from one side or the other, or just a delay in doing the paperwork, the Cowboys and Zimmer now seem to have come to an actual agreement.

“I’m excited and honored to be back with a great organization,” Zimmer told Werder. “I’m thrilled to work with Mike McCarthy, for whom I have had a ton of respect in our NFC North days, and to do anything I can do to help the Joneses and the Cowboys.”

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Rex Ryan: Mike Zimmer doesn’t have DC job yet; Cowboys ‘so close’ to Super Bowl success

From @ToddBrock24f7: The ESPN host interviewed for the job last week but says the candidate who beat him out isn’t officially in the very attractive job yet.

Former NFL head coach Rex Ryan found himself- quite unexpectedly, for many observers- in the spotlight last week after it was revealed he had interviewed with the Cowboys for their defensive coordinator position.

On Super Bowl Sunday, he was back at ESPN’s pregame desk, sharing some insight as to why he threw his hat in the coaching ring after seven years away. He also dropped a mini-bombshell regarding the man reportedly taking that DC job in Dallas.

“First off, I’m not so sure that [Mike] Zimmer’s got that job right now. Not real sure about that,” Ryan said. “I can honestly say I don’t believe that’s a fact right now.”

Ryan paused as if he were expecting some dramatic reaction from his Postseason NFL Countdown cohosts, but in truth, it’s not an altogether shocking revelation. Word that Zimmer was Dallas’s choice first leaked out Thursday night just before the NFL Honors ceremony was set to begin. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones- while literally on the red carpet- even alluded to an imminent hire, saying he had “been on the phone all afternoon with our future defensive coach.”

Jones was said to be working the phones while in Las Vegas to firm up details with the 67-year-old Zimmer, but it’s not inconceivable to think that getting a contract drawn up and signed while the main movers and shakers of the entire league are all on-site for Super Bowl LVIII just wasn’t a top priority.

Especially if the two sides- who are very familiar with one another after Zimmer’s first stint with the Cowboys- have come to a gentleman’s agreement; finishing up the business once everyone gets back to The Star on Monday or Tuesday is just as good.

There’s no real indication that Zimmer is about to pull a Kliff Kingsbury move; the fact that pen hasn’t hit paper yet is a story that may not be worth watching.

But in addition to stirring up a controversy that likely doesn’t exist, Ryan also decided to shed some light on why he interviewed for the Dallas job in the first place.

“I’ve been out for seven years. I’ve never called another coach or anything like that. I called Mike McCarthy. And the reason I did is I want to be on this stage,” Ryan explained, gesturing to the field getting prepped for the championship game. “I want to be back on this stage, if I’m going to get back into coaching, have a chance at that. I think that with this roster, the way it is, offensively, special teams, and defense- I figured I could make maybe even a little of an upgrade- that they could be right here. That’s why I was interested.”

The 61-year-old Ryan hinted that he’s been approached about a return to the sidelines before, but never by a team he’d be interested in coaching.

“It’s funny how, ‘Well, should we get–?’ Ryan play-acted. “No. Your team has no chance at me, okay? That’s generally the case. I would only go at the right situation. And if it’s not completely right, then I’m not going. But this team, it is interesting, because they are so close to getting over that edge, and that’s why I think people would be interested in this job.”

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Of course, to someone like Ryan or even Zimmer, the fact that McCarthy will helm the team on the final year of his contract may be part of it. A coordinator with extensive head coaching experience would easily be seen as the top candidate to take over the Cowboys should McCarthy find himself on the outs.

Even if the Cowboys rattle off another 12 wins next season, all eyes will be on what the Joneses do at the head coaching position. So if you’re Ryan, why not make a subtle last-ditch plea for the on-deck circle on national TV?

Zimmer’s official announcement may be a mere formality. But for now anyway, everyone involved is talking about a very attractive job that is- technically- still vacant.

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Mike Zimmer already has inside track to be Cowboys next head coach

Is the Cowboys defensive coordinator job a steppingstone for Mike Zimmer or a position of contentment? | From @ReidDHanson

He hasn’t even been on the job a week and already the hyperbole flows. But given the situation in Dallas these days, maybe head coach isn’t such a distant thought for the Cowboys’ newly minted defensive coordinator.

When the Cowboys announced Mike Zimmer to be their next defensive coordinator, they generally received positive reviews for the hire. Zimmer, the former head coach of the Vikings, has always been seen as a top NFL mind around the league. And his willingness to adapt and update his defense has allowed him stay on the right side of relevant for roughly 30 years.

Zimmer, who’s ties run deep with the Cowboys, returns to Dallas as a familiar face. Jerry and Stephen Jones are accustomed to working with him and more importantly, he’s accustomed to working with the Joneses. Given his familiarity and his vast defensive success, he represents a low risk hire for a team claiming to be “all in” in 2024.

After seeing a list of candidates, many agree he was the best of the bunch being considered, marking a big win for Dallas. But one has to wonder what made the Cowboys attractive to Zimmer?

Obviously, there are only 32 DC positions in the NFL and when one of those teams offers a job, that coach is going to have an awfully difficult time turning it down. And obviously Zimmer’s ties to Dallas make the transition an easy one from a comfort perspective.

There is also the specific situation that must be considered in Dallas. The Cowboys aren’t exactly the most stable climate in the NFL these days. McCarthy is playing out the final year of his contract as head coach and there’s no telling what things will look like 11 months from now.

Maybe that’s what makes the Cowboys attractive to Zimmer.

Former Bengals DC Mike Zimmer joins Cowboys

Mike Zimmer is back in the NFL.

Former Cincinnati Bengals defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer has landed elsewhere in the NFL after a hiatus.

Zimmer will pick up the same role with the Dallas Cowboys for the 2024 season.

From 2008-2013, Zimmer served as coordinator in Cincinnati during a memorable stretch in which his defenses were effective and his relationship with the city strong. He left in 2014 to serve as the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings until 2021.

After that, he spent one year as a consultant for Jackson State before stepping back from coaching.

Now, Zimmer returns to the NFL and just in time, too — the Bengals play the Cowboys on the road next season.

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Twitter reacts to Mike Zimmer’s return to Cowboys as new DC

A collection of reactions, stats, former-player takes and more to the Cowboys replacing Dan Quinn with another former HC, Mike Zimmer. | From @KDDrumondNFL

The Dallas Cowboys have concluded their search for a new defensive coordinator and are bringing back a familiar face. All-in was the phrase Jerry Jones used to describe their approach to the offseason, but it’s questionable whether he intended to be replacing his DC in a season when the head coach, Mike McCarthy, didn’t have much job security. With Dan Quinn departing to lead the way for the rival Washington Commander, Jones and company set out to replace him atop the defensive totem.

That decision landed Mike Zimmer a new job. Out of football for the last two seasons, Zimmer brings a wealth of experience to the table. This will be his third head coach he’s coordinated for in Dallas alone, on the heels of extensive time as the head coach in Minnesota, where he squared off against McCarthy for years.

Twitter, or X if you’re so inclined, had a lot to say about the pursuit and the hire. There’s a wide gamut of reactions to bringing Zimmer in. Some don’t think Dallas’ hiring pool was deep enough, and there are various thought processes as to why the search mostly focused on former head coaches who have been in the league for a long time.

Others believe Zimmer brings a tenacity to Dallas that had been mising and still others chimed in with statistical evidence as to what they expect as the Cowboys look to turn the page from Quinn’s defense that was strong overall, but still had obvious weaknesses when it mattered most.

Here’s a collection of tweets discussing the hiring of Zimmer.

Former Vikings HC Mike Zimmer named Cowboys defensive coordinator

Mike Zimmer is back in the league where he all started in the state of Texas

The Minnesota Vikings have only had 10 head coaches in their storied history and one of those has landed a job back in the National Football League.

According to multiple sources, the Dallas Cowboys have officially hired Mike Zimmer as their defensive coordinator.

Zimmer got his first job in the NFL working for Jerry Jones as an assistant in 1994. He also won the Super Bowl in 1995 and worked his way up to defensive backs coach and defensive coordinator, a title he held from 2000-2006. He left for the Atlanta Falcons in 2007 and eventually became the Vikings head coach from 2014-2021.

Zimmer has fielded some elite defenses, including four with top-10 finishes and a first-place scoring defense in 2017 with the Vikings. He inherits a Cowboys defense that finished top five in scoring defense in 2023 allowing just 18.5 points per game. Not only was the defense effective, but they have some immense talent like Micah Parsons and Trevon Diggs.

Zimmer is likely going to have a great defense and should be a must-see television in 2024.

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BREAKING: Cowboys expected to name Mike Zimmer new defensive coordinator

From @ToddBrock24f7: It would be a return to Dallas for Zimmer, who won a Super Bowl ring with the dynasty and then went on to coach the Vikings for 8 seasons.

The Cowboys are expected to name Mike Zimmer their next defensive coordinator, according to a report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero. Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News has added that it’s down to a matter of “some logistics” that need to be completed.

The news comes after four days of interviews that followed the departure of Dan Quinn to Washington to become the Commanders’ new head coach. And while the report of Zimmer’s hire hasn’t been confirmed by the team, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones did hint that a decision has been made.

“I’ve been on the phone all afternoon with our future defensive coach,” Jones said from the red carpet at NFL Honors in Las Vegas Thursday night. “We’re excited about that. We’ve been working all the way flying out here on that.”

If it is, in fact, the 67-year-old Zimmer, it would be a return to the team that gave him his first NFL job. The Illinois native was hired in 1994 to be a defensive assistant for the team’s nickel package under head coach Barry Switzer. He won a title with the franchise in Super Bowl XXX and remained with the Cowboys for 13 seasons, working his way up the ladder with a five-year stint as defensive backs coach and then another seven as defensive coordinator.

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Zimmer moved on to become DC in Atlanta and then Cincinnati before being named head coach of the Minnesota Vikings in 2014. He amassed a 72-56-1 record with the Vikes and then served as a consultant for one of his former Cowboys players, Deion Sanders- who was then head coach of Jackson State’s football program- during the 2022 college football season.

After taking 2023 away from the game (but preparing with extensive study on his own), Zimmer made it known that he wanted to return to an NFL sideline. He was one of several prospective candidates for the DC job in Dallas, along with former coaches Ron Rivera and Rex Ryan, as well as current Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde and Jets safeties coach Marquand Manuel.

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