FRISCO, Texas — So much to do, but so little time. As the NFL offseason calendar begins to sink its teeth into the ÃÛÌÒTV' agenda, they're faced with multitasking that includes rebuilding the defense, and that began with the hiring of Christian Parker away from the Philadelphia Eagles to take over as the team's new defensive coordinator.
The next step in the process is to fill out his staff in Dallas, and that means there will be plenty of turnover within the assistant and position coaching staff — both having gotten underway in fairly short order.
Latest News/Highlights (Jan. 31)
- Derrick Ansley, Ryan Smith have both officially been hired as position coaches.
- Eric Henderson (USC run game coordinator), Denzel Martin (Steelers OLB coach) underwent interviews.
- Marcus Dixon arrived on Jan. 30 to undergo his in-person interview.
Headlined by the departure of defensive line coach Aaron Whitecotton and the arrival of Ryan Smith, things are picking up steam quickly for a team that had no choice but to move on from Matt Eberflus, and to figure out a way to install a defense that helps the Cowboys' prolific offense win games.
(Editor's note: This tracker will serve to keep a running list of updates for hirings and the like.It is strongly suggeted to bookmark this to revisit if frequently thoughout the interview and hiring process.)
Arrivals
Ryan Smith - Cornerbacks coach
Role: Cornerbacks coach/Secondary
Status: Official, contract signed
Smith, cornerbacks coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2025, underwent a formal interview with the Cowboys on Thursday and it's expected that he and the organization will soon finalize a contract to bring him to Dallas in the same role. The two sides have officialy signed the contract, Smith joins the Cowboys as the leader of the stingiest passing defense in the league last year in Arizona, along with the fact ... (tap here for more insight.)
Derrick Ansley - Packers pass game coordinator
Status: Official, contract signed
A former safety at Troy, Ansley has spun his knowledge of how to play the position (a former First-team All-Sun Belt defensive back) into a coaching career that, at the young age of 44, already contains a wealth of experience at both the collegiate and NFL level. It began early on as a DBs coach for Huntington before moving to Alabama, where he had success as that team's eventual DBs coach under Nick Saban, winning a national championship in 2017 by leading a corps headlined by former Cowboys' All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs. His time in the NFL includes stretches with the Raiders, Chargers (including as their defensive coordinator) before joining the Packers as pass game coordinator in 2024 to present.
Departures
Aaron Whitecotton (Official)
Role: Defensive line coach (Dallas)
Status: Tennessee Titans defensive line coach/run game coordinator
Whitecotton's stint with the Cowboys was abbreviated, lasting just one season with Matt Eberflus but, unlike Eberflus, his presence was felt. The former Jets defensive line coach effectively helped convince Dallas to value its defensive tackle position to the point where their trade that sent Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers included three-time Pro Bowler Kenny Clark, then lobbying for what became the blockbuster trade for All-Pro Quinnen Williams, and Whitecotton also ... (tap here for more insight).
Ramon Chinyoung Sr. (Official)
Role: Assistant offensive line coach (Dallas)
Status: Pittsburgh Steelers running backs coach
Having spent three seasons with the Cowboys, Chinyoung served as quality control and eventually the assistant offensive line coach under Mike Solari, before entering the 2025 season in the same role behind Conor Riley. His departure for the Steelers will reunite him with Mike McCarthy, former head coach of the Cowboys, as a running backs coach with a background in teaching the guys in the trenches.
Lunda Wells (Possible)
Role: Tight ends coach (Dallas)
Status: Offensive coordinator interviews
It's been a busy offseason already for Wells. The talented, heralded tight ends coach has served as the winning head coach in the 101st East-West Shrine Bowl in-between undergoing three separate interviews around the league for offensive coordinator vacancies, with the Washington Commanders, New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers and... (tap here for more insight).
Pending
Zach Orr - Ravens defensive coordinator
Status: Interview
Orr was a key candidate for the defensive coordinator position before the Cowboys decided to award the honor to Christian Parker, but they clearly were not done with Orr, who again met with the team as a possible role as a position coach. Orr is no stranger to North Texas, having attended the University of North Texas, where he was a linebacker for Mean Green in the early 2010s, then going on to ... (tap here for more insight).
Marcus Dixon - Vikings defensive line coach
Status: Interview
Speaking of someone familiar with North Texas, there's Dixon, who played for the Cowboys, as a defensive end in the early 2000s, going on to be a pass rusher for the Jets, Chiefs and Titans before ultimately retiring and taking his talents to the coaching ranks. Dixon started that journey defensive line and defensive ends coach for Hampton and then returned to the NFL as assistant defensive line coach for the Rams, then defensive line coach for the Broncos and, to present, taking on the same role for the Vikings under Brian Flores where … (tap here for more insight).
Ronell Williams - Eagles assistant linebackers coach
Status: Interview
Why poach one talented coach from a bitter NFC East rival when you can poach two? That's the thought process of the Cowboys, at the behest of Parker, who led Dallas to request an interview with Ronell Williams, the current assistant linebackers coach in Philly. Williams helped Parker and Vic Fangio design and lead one of the best defenses in the league that boasts one of the best LB rotations in football, and his background with the Eagles includes working as nickel backs coach in 2023 before ... (tap here for more insight).
Robert Livingston - Colorado defensive coordinator
Status: Interview
Not unlike what Brian Schottenheimer did on offense when he dipped into the collegiate coaching pool to grab offensive line coach Conor Riley and wide receivers coach Junior Adams, Livingston serves as the latest up-and-comer from that level looking to find a foothold in the NFL but, unlike Riley and Adams, the 40-year-old Livingston has already had a taste of coaching professional football — a lot of it. From 2012 through 2023, Livingston climbed the ranks of the Bengals, going from scout to defensive quality control to safeties coach, before joining Deion Sanders in Boulder, garnering Parker's interest in 2026.
