As preparations begin for the 2026NFL season, next year’s staff is beginning to take shape for the Dallas Cowboys.
The Cowboys struggled mightily on the defensive side of the ball this season and after firing Matt Eberflus and bringing in former division rival Christian Parker, the ex-Eagles passing game coordinator and DBs coach is starting to fill out the rest of his crew.
Advertisement
Parker was the first domino to fall when it comes to Dallas rebuilding it’s approach on D. And now according to reports, the team has added a pair of assistants to help get the Cowboys back to being respectable defensively next fall.
Jul 29, 2023; Oxnard, CA, USA; Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer during training camp at the River Ridge Fields. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
(© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)Cowboys add 2 more coaches to defensive staff
Per ESPN’s Todd Archer: “The Cowboys have agreed to deals with Derek Ansley (defensive pass game coordinator, defensive backs) and Ryan Smith (secondary), per source. Defensive staff starting to form.”
Advertisement
Smith spent the last three seasons coaching Cardinals cornerbacks after cutting his teeth at James Madison, Virginia Tech and Northwestern in the college ranks. While Ansley also has ties to those three schools along with extensive SEC experience at programs like Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky.
Both coaches also have Nick Saban ties with Ansley working as a graduate assistant and defensive backs coach in Tuscaloosa and Smith learning under Saban disciple and James Madison/Indiana HC Curt Cignetti.
Advertisement
Dallas hoping to finalize coaching staff quickly
During the Senior Bowl in Mobile, AL, Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones said that he expects the team to wrap up its 2026 hires fairly quickly — saying the organization has hopes put a bow in it by this weekend.
“The goal would be by the weekend,” Jones told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “Could it linger? It could. We’ve had a lot of great visits, and we got a lot of guys who are going to be coming in. We’ve made the next step that we want to bring them in here and get on board with them. Coach Schottenheimer and Christian [Parker] will get in there and see what we can do with it, and hopefully we can get a lot of good coaches in here.”
Advertisement
The Cowboys’ secondary unit ranked dead last in the NFL in 2025. Next on the to-do list will be replacing defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton who decided to follow Robert Saleh to the Titans this offseason.
This story was originally published by The Spun on Feb 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.