Mike Zimmer Has Competition in Dallas
Josh Frey
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Mike Zimmer suggested back in December that he wants to get back into the NFL this year.
Recently, those suggestions have turned into an interview with the Dallas Cowboys for their defensive coordinator position. This job currently is vacant after Dan Quinn accepted the head coaching job with the Washington Commanders.
However, since his interview, reports have suggested that Zimmer has a good bit of competition for the Cowboys job. Here is a look at some of the other candidates who will go up against the former Vikings head coach.
Aden Durde
The in-house candidate, Aden Durde has served as the Cowboys defensive line coach for the past three seasons. Prior to his coaching career, Durde was a professional linebacker across a few different leagues, playing overseas for the London Olympians, Scottish Claymores, and Hamburg Sea Devils.
Durde also spent time in the NFL as a practice squad member of the Carolina Panthers in 2005 and the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008. He then began his coaching career as an assistant with the Atlanta Falcons in 2018.
As defensive line coach, he has helped bring along Micah Parsons as one of the top defenders in the NFL, and he has plenty of experience under his belt at this point. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN also reported that Durde is up for the Seattle Seahawks DC job, tweeting, “Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde spoke with the #Seahawks about their defensive coordinator role, per source. Durde is also up for Cowboys DC.”
Ron Rivera
Ironically, Ron Rivera and Quinn could be swapping spots between the Commanders and Cowboys. Since Rivera’s firing and Quinn’s hiring in Washington, the former Commanders head coach has interviewed with the Cowboys for their DC job.
Ian Rapoport of NFL Network tweeted the following on Monday, “As the #Cowboys dig in on their search for a defensive coordinator, Ron Rivera will meet with them this week about the job, sources say. Mike Zimmer is also among the candidates.”
Rivera has 19 years of NFL experience as either a head coach or defensive coordinator, spending time with the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Carolina Panthers, and Commanders since 2004. Rivera also had a nine-year NFL career as a linebacker with the Bears from 1984-1992.
Rex Ryan
The latest candidate for Dallas is Rex Ryan, who spent eight years as a head coach of the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills from 2009-2016. Ryan has a record of 61-66 as a head coach, and the Jets made the AFC Championship Game in each of his first two seasons.
Josina Anderson of CBS Sports tweeted the new tidbit of info on Wednesday, “New: I’m told former Jets and Bills head coach Rex Ryan interviewed for the Cowboys vacant defensive coordinator job, per sources.”
Ryan has not been a coach in the NFL since being fired by the Bills back in 2016.
Editor’s Note: Information from Pro Football Reference helped with this article.
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Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho and managing editor of PurplePTSD.com. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.