Everything you need to know about Dallas Cowboys new defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer

The Dallas Cowboys defense during the Dan Quinn era was one of the best it’s been in franchise history. In three seasons under Quinn, the Dallas D led the league in takeaways with 93, and he coached Trevon Diggs, who led the league in interceptions (11) in 2021 and DaRon Bland, who led the league in interceptions (9) last season, and set a record for returns for touchdowns (5).

Unfortunately, the things they excelled at in the regular season just did not come through in their playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers to end the 2023 season. Now Quinn is off to coach for the enemy in Washington and the Cowboys find themselves reunited with a new, but familiar face.

Mike Zimmer, who was the Cowboys’ defensive backs coach in 1995 and eventually became the defensive coordinator from 2000 to 2006, coached Hall of Fame players like Charles Haley, Deion Sanders, and DeMarcus Ware. After spending the 2014-2021 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, he was fired and spent two years away from the game before the Dallas Cowboys decided to bring him back again for the 2024 season.

Zimmer’s tough reputation

Zimmer’s coaching style is quite different than Quinn’s style and he’s known for his no-nonsense, intense approach that comes out on the field as well with aggressive play-calls and simulated blitzes. That will be quite the change already from Quinn, who All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons described as more like a friend than a coach.

“[Quinn] means a lot to me, not only because it’s just about football....It doesn’t always have to be hard-nosed, ‘I’m the coach.’ It’s more of a friendship,” said Parsons. “We go through what I don’t like, what I do like. He doesn’t just treat me like a player, he treats me like a friend. He’s always there when I need him and we’re not afraid to have those hard conversations whether it’s father to son or player to coach. We have them no matter what.”

While Zimmer may be tough on the players and coaches he works with, he shut down rumors that he’s “a jerk”.

“There’s a reputation out there that I’m a jerk or something like that,” Zimmer said. “It is what it is I guess. But you know, since it was announced I was going to be here, I’ve heard from so many players that played for me. Players here, not just defensive backs, the linebackers and defensive linemen have texted me and said how happy they were for me. I think if I was such a jerk I wouldn’t be hearing from those guys.”

Head coach Mike McCarthy feels that Zimmer’s approach is in fact one of his best qualities, saying that it’s more important to be respected than loved as a coach. Zimmer is coming into the position with a strong defensive squad already, so now the need is for growth. Parsons, despite the bittersweet goodbye he had with Quinn, is excited to work with Zimmer this season, and the feeling is mutual. Parsons is one of just five players to have at least 40 sacks in his first three NFL seasons and led the league in quarterback pressures (103), quarterback pressure rate (21.8%), and pass rush win rate (35.3%) last season.

“I think it will be pretty cool because obviously old-school mindset, old-school mentality,” Parsons said of Zimmer after the Cowboys minicamp in May. “I think he’s had a lot of great players, but he ain’t ever have a Micah before. It will be fun, and I think it’s going to be unique.”

While some of Zimmer’s former players accused him of creating a “fear-based” and “toxic” culture, Zimmer himself says that he simply demands a lot from his players, and they’re better for it in the long run. As for the Dallas defense, he’s there to help the team win a Super Bowl, and for no other reason than that. He knows he’s working with a team that’s already established and doesn’t need reinventing. Instead, he’ll focus on figuring out the best way to utilize the individual players and  take the good things that they’ve done and maybe add a few more other things we’ve done good in the past, will try to make this thing manageable where we’re disciplined, well-coached, where we’re playing together as a team.” It won’t be the Dan Quinn approach, and it seems like that might be a change that Dallas needs.

“For the most part they’ve played pretty darn good, and we’re going to try to accentuate that and maybe be a little bit more technique-oriented, maybe a little bit more disciplined, some of those things,” said Zimmer. “At the end of the day, we’ve got to do it the way I want it done. I know if you try to come in and do somebody else’s thing, it just doesn’t go well.”