Sure, the Cowboys traded star pass rusher Micah Parsons before the start of the season, but he didn\u2019t envision his defense allowing a franchise record 511 points. Jones didn\u2019t believe the best pass rusher on his team (Jadeveon Clowney) would arrive two weeks into the season and would now be high on a list of players the club wants to re-sign in free agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n As the 2025 season progressed, Jones returned to the hiring processes of defensive coordinators Matt Eberflus, Mike Zimmer and Dan Quinn \u2014 former head coaches with years of experience calling defenses \u2014 to find out what went wrong during the season.<\/p>\n Cowboys<\/p>\n By signing up, you agree to our\u00a0Terms of Service<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n All the reflection points led to the Cowboys hiring 34-year-old Christian Parker as their new defensive coordinator<\/a>. Parker is the youngest defensive coordinator in franchise history. He\u2019s never called defensive plays before. He has seven years of NFL coaching experience.<\/p>\n Jones said the hiring process is what needed to change. A handful of coaches were interviewed each time the Cowboys hired their previous three defensive coordinators. After head coach Brian Schottenheimer<\/a> was hired last January, Eberflus was picked 24 hours later.<\/p>\n Jones said his comfort level was high with hiring former head coaches and coordinators. But 2025 made him change that thinking.<\/p>\n \u201cI spent a lot of time looking at the past, when I look at the coaching situation, a lot of times,\u201d Jones said. \u201cI do that on everything, frankly, that I can get my hands on. I\u2019m not trying to be philosophical, but I did less of whatever I\u2019ve been doing [in the past] and a lot more of what I am doing in this process.\u201d<\/p>\n Jones interviewed more coaches. He relied heavily on Schottenheimer. He saw how Schottenheimer put together his offensive staff, not so much relying on people he knew but simply finding good coaches regardless of connection. <\/p>\n The Cowboys offense finished second in yards per game last season. It was the pulse of the team. Receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens<\/a> each had 1,000-yard seasons. Running back Javonte Williams, like Pickens, had a career year by going over 1,000 rushing yards. Dak Prescott was the NFL\u2019s passing leader going into the final game of the season before finishing second in yards. <\/p>\n The defense was a mess. Jones relied on Eberflus to hire coaches whom he knew. It was similar to what other coordinators had done. It\u2019s easier to hire coaches to teach the defensive philosophies they know well. Jones said that needed to be changed moving forward.<\/p>\n \u201cI probably put too much emphasis on their individual place in life, their individual place in the profession and should be more attentive to what\u2019s coming out the box today,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd that is all that counts, is tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n Another problem for Jones was the lack of flexibility when a change was needed on defense. Eberflus, a good coach, stuck mostly to what he believed. He made some changes, from simplifying the defensive plays in the secondary, blitzing more and calling the defensive plays from the coach\u2019s box over the sideline. But the talent was also lacking in several areas.<\/p>\n During the 2025 season, Jones remembers meeting with the coaches and telling them the hard truths of what was occurring.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really unfortunate to have the kind of team, in my mind we could have had, and I think the obvious is the obvious,\u201d Jones said. <\/p>\n In his chat with the coaches, he recalls saying, \u201cWe got a lot of things pushed out here with the Cowboys. None of it works if you can\u2019t get them off the field on third down. All this stuff, pretty buildings out here [The Star], you\u2019ve got to get them off the field on third down.\u201d<\/p>\n After Eberflus was fired following the first year of a three-year contract<\/a>, Jones remembered how past staffs were put together and finally decided to do something different.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you\u2019re set up the way I am, that old mirror, that self-evaluation really is appropriate and has to be done,\u201d he said. \u201cMy way of doing things doesn\u2019t work if I don\u2019t change. I\u2019m not successful, then I haven\u2019t [changed]. There\u2019s no other way.\u201d <\/p>\n During the hiring process, there were nine known interviews with potential replacements for Eberflus. It would have been 10, but the Atlanta Falcons denied the Cowboys an opportunity to interview defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich.<\/p>\n The finalists were Jonathan Gannon, Daronte Jones and Parker. Gannon was the only former head coach among them. Parker came highly recommended<\/a> and from the Vic Fangio tree. Fangio\u2019s defenses had stifled the Cowboys\u2019 offenses over the years, whether he was in Miami, Denver or Philadelphia. <\/p>\n Related<\/p>\n Parker was a teacher. He spoke to Cowboys\u2019 officials about putting a staff together of fellow teachers, regardless of age or if they\u2019d been head coaches elsewhere.<\/p>\n Jones said this might be the youngest defensive staff he\u2019s had in a long time. Five assistants have been hired and there\u2019s a chance the team might add an assistant with head coach or coordinator experience, but it\u2019s not a must. <\/p>\n In Jones\u2019 mind, the only thing that was needed was a change in the hiring process. Get out of the comfort zone in a similar fashion to the hiring of the offensive coaches. <\/p>\n \u201cSchotty had that last year,\u201d Jones said. \u201cCertainly, the emphasis was more on his input because we had Flus and had that opportunity, who were on the same page with him. But I think this was done with last year\u2019s success in mind with the offense and it was done in my mind. Well, how we\u2019ve been doing it, hadn\u2019t hit the mark. Let\u2019s operate on a little different basis.\u201d<\/p>\n The former Cowboys and Rangers stars will give the \u201cDrivers, start your engines\u201d command ahead of the main race on March 15.<\/p>\n In 2021, Diggs tied Walls\u2019 Cowboys record for interceptions in a single season.<\/p>\n![\"Denver](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1770846505_914_OSPQBM643ZEIJDYXHPDN3TVKQQ.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/MX7FDOG2NNCUZITI57OZUI36UY.jpg\")
<\/a>DeMarcus Ware, Iv\u00e1n \u2018Pudge\u2019 Rodr\u00edguez to serve as Grand Prix of Arlington marshals<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Dallas](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/1770846507_533_6ASUYOYYWBG45FORGRVQWKEZIA.jpg\")
<\/a>Everson Walls shares what he thinks led to Trevon Diggs\u2019 Dallas Cowboys departure<\/a><\/p>\n