Nov 17, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Las Vegas Raiders quarterback Geno Smith (7) is sacked by Dallas Cowboys defensive tackle Kenny Clark (95) and defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (92) during the first half at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images
If you were given control to reshape the NFL’s worst defense in 2025, what would you would do? That is the question that coaches are being asked in the halls of the Cowboys front office.
Yes, the Dallas Cowboys are in the market for a new defensive coordinator, but management is patient, eager to find the right fit with the organization. Here is a breakdown of six coaches reported to be of interest to the Cowboys:
Ephraim Banda, Cleveland Browns safeties coach
Status: Interviewed
Banda, 44, has followed a collegiate-to-NFL coaching path similar to others under consideration. A former cornerback, he began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Incarnate Word and Texas before moving to Mississippi State as a defensive quality control coach. He later served as co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Miami, then as defensive coordinator at Utah State. Those roles led to his hiring by the Cleveland Browns in 2023, where he has worked under Jim Schwartz on one of the league’s top defenses. With Schwartz drawing interest during the current coaching cycle, Banda has also emerged as a potential candidate, bringing experience from both the college and NFL levels and ties to a respected defensive system.
Daronte Jones, Minnesota Vikings defensive pass game coordinator
Status: Interviewed
Daronte Jones brings a longer and more varied coaching resume than many of his peers. A former cornerback at Morgan State, Jones began his coaching career in the early 2000s and has accumulated extensive experience at the collegiate level, including stops as cornerbacks coach at UCLA, defensive backs coach at Wisconsin and defensive coordinator at LSU.
Jones also coached defensive backs for the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL before moving to the NFL, where he has held positions with the Miami Dolphins and Cincinnati Bengals. He joined the Minnesota Vikings in 2020 and spent the 2025 season working under defensive coordinator Brian Flores, adding NFL experience under one of the league’s more respected defensive minds.
Zach Orr, Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator
Status: Interviewed
The departure of longtime Ravens head coach John Harbaugh provides an opening at Baltimore’s head coaching. And it could be enticing for Orr, who signed as an undrafted free agent with the Ravens in 2014 before retiring in 2017 due to injury, and transitioning to coaching. Orr served in various roles on Baltimore’s staff before joining the Jacksonville Jaguars organization in 2021 and returning to Baltimore in 2022 as the team’s inside linebackers coach, a position he held for two seasons. With the Ravens missing the playoffs and Harbaugh leaving, Orr could set his sights elsewhere, especially if Ravens management and ownership opts to bring in someone outside the organization.
Charlie Bullen, New York Giants interim defensive coordinator
Status: Interview
Charlie Bullen’s future with the New York Giants remains uncertain amid the expected hiring of John Harbaugh as head coach, making him open to discussions with the Dallas Cowboys. A former quarterback, Bullen began his coaching career at Iowa before entering the NFL with the Miami Dolphins in 2012. He later served as a defensive line coach and assistant linebackers coach with Miami, then spent four seasons with the Arizona Cardinals coaching linebackers and outside linebackers. After a brief stop at Illinois, Bullen joined the Giants in 2024 and was promoted to interim defensive coordinator in 2025 following the dismissal of Shane Bowen. Bullen brings familiarity with the NFC East and a diverse defensive coaching background, though he faces strong competition among candidates under consideration.
Christian Parker, Philadelphia Eagles defensive passing game coordinator/defensive backs coach
Status: Interview
Parker comes from a top defensive environment under Vic Fangio in Philadelphia, which finished with the sixth fewest passing yards allowed and fewest passing touchdowns allowed in 2025. Strong schematic background in both run and coverage disguise, dovetailing with Dallas’ need to improve pass defense. Dallas allowed too many big passing plays in 2025 and Parker’s influence on coverage communication and scheme could help reverse that trend, which aligns with the Cowboys pursuing a “communicator.”
Dallas is searching for their next defensive coordinator with an open mind.
“I think there are opportunities out there, and we’ll continue, as I said, to cast a wide net, learn a lot, and hopefully come up with the guy that we want that compliments coach Schottenheimer and his offense and the culture we want to have here with the Dallas Cowboys,” Cowboys COO/co-owner Stephen Jones said on Thursday on the team website.
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