The Dallas Cowboys still have a game left in the 2025 season, but their top priority this offseason is already clear.
Defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’ job security is in doubt, with the Cowboys fielding arguably the league’s worst defense. Entering Week 18, Dallas is No. 30 in total defense and No. 32 in scoring defense.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer likely needs to make a change for the unit to improve in 2026. Here are three coaches the Cowboys should consider as they plot for next season.
1. Houston Texans defensive backs coach Dino Vasso
The Cowboys' secondary has been horrendous, allowing 33 touchdowns while forcing only six interceptions. It’s also allowed a league-high 4,057 passing yards. Vasso, in his fifth season with the Texans and third as defensive backs coach, is a rising star in the position coach ranks and could be due for a promotion. Houston leads the league in total defense (272.4 yards per game), in part due to a sensational secondary that has as many interceptions as touchdowns allowed (18). Vasso has also done solid work in previous stops with the Kansas City Chiefs (2013-15) and Philadelphia Eagles (2016-20). It wouldn’t be a shock if he soon gets a look as a defensive coordinator. His track record in the defensive backfield should put him on the Cowboys’ shortlist.
2. Minnesota Vikings defensive line coach Marcus Dixon
Even after trading All-Pro edge Micah Parsons, Dallas has quietly had success pressuring quarterbacks, ranking second in pressure rate (30.9 percent) through Week 17 (h/t Pro Football Reference). However, even with keeping opponents under duress on nearly a third of their dropbacks, the Cowboys struggle to get sacks, ranking tied for 23rd in the category with 31. That could make Dixon, who’s coached under Minnesota’s excellent defensive coordinator, Brian Flores, an attractive candidate. Per the Vikings' team website, Dixon’s “defensive line helped limit opponents to an average of 93.5 rushing yards per game [in 2024] and just five runs of 20+ yards on the season, both of which were the second-fewest marks in the NFL.”
This season, the Vikings are third in pressure rate (28.3 percent) and sixth in sacks (45). If Dallas can turn more of its pressures into sacks, that would be a huge boost for the defense. Defensive tackles Kenny Clark and Quinnen Williams give the Cowboys a strong base at the line of scrimmage, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if Dixon put them in position to succeed. The former three-year pro also has history with the Cowboys, who signed him to their practice squad as an undrafted free agent in 2008, making a possible return a sort of homecoming.
3. Seattle Seahawks assistant head coach Leslie Frazier
If the Cowboys want to replace Eberflus with someone else who has head coaching experience, Frazier should be near the top of the list. The former Vikings head coach has spent the past two seasons as the Seahawks' assistant head coach after taking off the 2023 season. This year, Seattle ranks No. 2 in yards allowed per play (4.6) while also creating 24 turnovers, the league’s fifth-most. From 2017-2022, Frazier served as Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator, during which time the Bills finished in the top two in points allowed three times and the top 10 in yards allowed four times. Frazier has a wealth of experience, and Dallas would know what it’s getting by making him defensive coordinator. For a team with a playoff-caliber offense, it might make the most sense to hire someone on defense who’s been there before as opposed to a first-timer.