Cowboys hire Eberflus as defensive coordinator

The Dallas Cowboys hired former Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus as their defensive coordinator, the team announced Tuesday.

Head coach Brian Schottenheimer wasted little time adding a notable piece to his first coaching staff.

Eberflus rejoins the Cowboys after serving as the club's linebackers coach from 2011 to 2017. He left the organization to become defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts for four seasons.

The 54-year-old was fired in November after nearly three seasons as head coach of the Bears. Eberflus led the organization to a 14-32 record before being dismissed following a Thanksgiving Day loss to the Detroit Lions.

Mike Zimmer led Dallas' defensive unit last year. The Cowboys were 31st in scoring defense, allowing 27.5 points per game, and finished 28th in allowing 355.2 total yards per contest in 2024. Zimmer departed the organization after Schottenheimer beat him out for the vacant head-coaching position.

Eberflus will now be responsible for a talented group headlined by Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, and DaRon Bland looking ahead to their 2025 campaign.

Dallas is also close to naming former San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator Nick Sorensen as their new special teams coordinator, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.