Mike McCarthy and the Dallas Cowboys fell short in the playoffs yet again last year, extending the Super Bowl drought to 29 years for one of the most popular and storied NFL franchises.
It’s very difficult to envision McCarthy surviving this season as head coach without a deep playoff run. Here are the individuals tasked on the Cowboys’ coaching staff responsible for helping him lead this team.
Dallas Cowboys Coaching Staff
- Mike McCarthy, Head Coach
- Mike Zimmer, Defensive Coordinator
- Brian Schottenheimer, Offensive Coordinator
- John Fassel, Special Teams Coordinator
- Jeff Blasko, Run Game Coordinator/RBs Coach
- Ramon Chinyoung, Quality Control/Assistant OL
- Ryan Feder, Game Management/Assistant Quarterbacks
- Evan Harrington, Offensive Assistant
- Chase Haslett, Pass Game Specialist
- Robert Prince, WRs Coach/Pass Game Coordinator
- Steve Shimko, Offensive Assistant/Quality Control
- Justin Rudd, Coaching Operations Manager/Football Analytics
- Mike Solari, OL Coach
- Scott Tolzien, QBs Coach
- Lunda Wells, TEs Coach
- Paul Guenther, Defensive Run Game Coordinator
- Jeff Zgonina, DL Coach
- Greg Ellis, Quality Control/Assistant DL
- Al Harris, DBs Coach/Assistant Head Coach
- Cannon Matthews, Safeties
- Cristian Garcia, Assitant DBs/Quality Control
- Scott McCurley, LBs Coach
- Eric Simonelli, Quality Control/Head Coach Assistant
- Darian Thompson, Quality Control/Assistant LBs
- Rayna Stewart, Assistant Special Teams
New Additions to the Cowboys’ Coaching Staff
After being promoted to offensive coordinator a season ago, Brian Schottenheimer gets at least one more chance with QB Dak Prescott under center. He will have a tough time replicating the success this offense had under Kellen Moore, but he will certainly try. However, McCarthy has retained play-calling duties.
Long-time coaching veteran and wide receivers coach Robert Prince has also been promoted to Dallas’ pass game coordinator. He will have his work cut out for him trying to coach up youngsters Jalen Tolbert, Jalen Brooks, Ryan Flournoy.
Assistant Steve Shimko is the only newcomer to the offensive side of McCarthy’s staff. He is a former collegiate player from Rutgers. He got into coaching in 2011 and has been active ever since.
The biggest changes to this coaching staff came on the defensive side of the ball. Dan Quinn put together one of the best defenses in the league as the defensive coordinator for the past three years. Deservedly so, Quinn got another opportunity to lead an NFL team, now serving as the Washington Commanders head coach.
In an effort to maintain their defensive superiority, the Cowboys were able to lure former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer to return to the NFL. After spending two years as a consultant with Jackson State and Colorado, Zimmer returns to Dallas for what will be his second stint with the team. He previously spent 12 years with the Cowboys from 1994 through 2006.
Following Zimmer to Dallas is long-time defensive assistant Paul Guenther, formerly of the Cincinnati Bengals and Las Vegas Raiders. Guenther is a Zimmer guy, previously serving as a senior defensive assistant for Zimmer in Minnesota in 2021. He took over as the Cowboys’ defensive run game coordinator. Guenther was influential in signing LB Eric Kendricks in the 2024 offseason.
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Another familiar face in Dallas is joining the staff due to Zimmer. Former DE Greg Ellis will be the assistant defensive line coach and part of quality control. Ellis was drafted eighth overall by Dallas in the 1998 NFL Draft and played under Zimmer for nine seasons.
Ellis, a former North Carolina Tar Heel, has the second-most sacks in a season (12.5) in Tar Heel history. He won Comeback Player of the Year while playing for the Cowboys back in 2007.