After their defense became the biggest letdown this season, the Dallas Cowboys are ready for a complete overhaul. They began the process by firing Matt Eberflus and replacing him with Christian Parker. But with their pass defense ranking dead last in the league, the change in leadership was inevitable. Now, head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s team has welcomed a coach who has a reputation for developing elite defensive backs. 

“The #Cowboys are expected to hire #Packers defensive pass game coordinator Derrick Ansley, sources tell @CBSSports,” CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz tweeted on X.

The move comes after the team parted ways with Andre Curtis. It is also part of Parker’s effort to build his staff with younger, proven coaches. Ansley’s most recent stint was with the Green Bay Packers, where he served as the defensive coordinator. Under him, the team’s defense finished the regular season in 12th position by allowing opponents to produce only 311.8 total yards per game.

And now, Dallas views Ansley as a key step toward stabilizing a unit that struggled week after week. They were among the bottom in overall defense, surrendering 355.2 yards per game and a league-high 59 touchdowns. Their passing defense allowed an abysmal 251.5 net yards per game, ranking below all 31 teams in total points. The unit averaged 30.1 points per outing.

Those staggering numbers are precisely why the front office targeted Ansley, who brings a proven track record of success from his time with the Packers and Chargers.

As for Ansley, he played safety at Troy before his coaching journey began in 2005. Then, he entered college football as a defensive back coach at the Huntingdon Hawks program and later moved to teams such as Alabama and Tennessee. While at Alabama, he helped develop standout defensive backs such as Minkah Fitzpatrick and Marlon Humphrey. 

In 2018, he joined the Oakland Raiders (now known as the Las Vegas Raiders) as defensive-backs coach for a one-year stint. After two seasons with Tennessee, he returned to the league with the Los Angeles Chargers, eventually becoming their defensive coordinator in 2023 before joining the Packers. With young talent in the secondary, Ansley’s arrival feels like a meaningful upgrade. 

Additionally, the team plans to interview Pittsburgh Steelers linebackers coach Denzel Martin and Philadelphia Eagles assistant linebackers coach Ronell Williams on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Cowboys have also hired Arizona Cardinals cornerbacks coach Ryan Smith.

Brian Schottenheimer makes another coaching move on defense

As Christian Parker takes the reins as the team’s new defensive coordinator after Matt Eberflus’ disappointing tenure, his focus is on starting from scratch.

“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,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote on X.

Smith served as a cornerbacks coach for the Wildcats at Northwestern University in 2022. He later joined the Arizona Cardinals the following year in the same role. In 2024, Arizona’s defense emerged as one of the NFL’s most effective units late in the season. Over an eleven-game stretch, they ranked fourth in scoring defense by surrendering just 19.6 points per contest. They also led the league in limiting touchdowns overall (20) and through the air (10) during that stretch.

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Smith’s arrival in Dallas is expected to aid a secondary that badly needs stability. During his time in Arizona, he helped develop young cornerbacks such as Garrett Williams into one of the league’s most promising young corners. With Ansley and Smith now on board, new DC Christian Parker’s vision for a more aggressive and disciplined defense is beginning to materialize, but the pressure is on to turn these hires into on-field results.