Mike Zimmer Wants Dallas Cowboys Defensive Coordinator Job

Former Minnesota Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer wants back into the National Football League as a defensive coordinator. According to Dallas Morning News reporter and Pro Football Writers of America President, Calvin Watkins, Zim is eyeing the same organization that once made him one of the most bright and upcoming defensive minds in the NFL, the Dallas Cowboys.

Former Vikings HC and Cowboys DC Mike Zimmer is interested in the current vacant Cowboys gig a person with knowledge of his thinking said.

— Calvin Watkins (@calvinwatkins) February 2, 2024

Mike Zimmer back to Dallas Cowboys?

Zimmer coached in Dallas from 1994 to 2006, where he climbed the ranks from Nickel defensive backs special assistant (’94), to defensive backs coach (’95-’99) and eventually defensive coordinator (’00-’06), before stopping in Atlanta for a year and then Cincinnati where he remained for sox seasons before being hired as head coach of the Vikings for the 2014 season.

Mike Zimmer coached in Minnesota until 2021, when he and president of football operations, Rick Spielman, were both fired. There were a lot of rumors swirling and parting shots sent Zim’s way, after he was removed. Spielman got his shots in, players got there’s, it seemingly went on for months.

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But at the end of the day, Zimmer is one of the great defensive minds of his generation and ran one of the best operations on that side of the ball for most of his 8-year tenure as Vikings head coach.

He went 72-51 (.562) while in Minnesota, the 3rd-best winning percentage of any coach in franchise history with over 50 games coached, behind only Bud Grant and Dennis Green.