INDIANAPOLIS — A different look has arrived for the Dallas Cowboys' defense in 2026, as newly-crowned defensive coordinator Christian Parker begins putting his fingerprints on the scheme after finalizing his defensive staff in February, and that staff includes Chidera Uzo-Diribe and Scott Symons, two linebackers coaches with very different responsibilities.
Uzo-Diribe lands in Dallas as a branch of the Kirby Smart coaching tree in Georgia, a national championship-winning outside linebackers coach (EDGE) tasked with helping Parker to change the Cowboys' defense from a 4-3 defense to primarily a 3-4 scheme with the versatility to be multiple.
And then there's Scott Symons, a homegrown talent that got the nod after making waves as defensive coordinator at SMU — he and Diribe having just missed crossing paths there as Symons arrived one season following Uzo-Diribe's departure to TCU and then Georgia in 2021.
Symons is being brought onboard to upgrade the teaching and development of the inside linebackers, and both he and Uzo-Diribe opened up about getting the call from the Cowboys, what their plan for each position is, and what they're looking for at the 2026 NFL Combine.
Chidera Uzo-Diribe
On hearing the news he'd got the job in Dallas:
"Truly a blessing and one of those opportunities that you can't say no to. I'm forever thankful to Coach Smart and his tutelage, but also excited for the opportunity to be in Dallas."
On his biggest takeaway from coaching under Kirby Smart:
"Not being fearful to confront and demand expectation from the players. Coach Smart isn't afraid to confront and demand from his coaches, and the coaches are required to do the same thing for their players. Building that consistency with them is gonna be one of the biggest things I've taken away from [Kirby Smart]."
On his initial impression of Christian Parker:
"A clear vision. He's clear, in terms of his communication of what he wants and how he wants it done. So, as an assistant coach, seeing that vision and getting the communication paints a clear picture of how he wants it done and where he wants this thing to go; and it makes it easier for us as well."
On what he's looking for in OLB edge rushers at the 2026 Combine:
"The main jobs are setting edges in the run game, being physical at the point of attack and getting after the quarterback. We've gotta be able to check those boxes. There are gonna be some different things and tasks those guys are asked to do but, at the end of the day, that's what we're gonna prioritize."
On if he will focus solely on OLBs in Dallas:
"I'll be specifically with the outside linebackers, but with defensive football, everybody's gotta coincide and work together — inside backers, defensive line, outside linebackers, the [defensive backs], coordinating the run game, [etc.]. We've all gotta get on the same page, so there will be a lot of time spent with one another."
Scott Symons
On his initial impression of Christian Parker:
"Christian is very intelligent, from the jump. I've known him since he was at [Texas] A&M briefly. From the first phone call with Schotty and Christian, it was very evident to me that these were the type of people that I wanted to work with, and grow and learn from. The energy, the bright football IQ and acumen are all things you wanna be a part of. I'm really excited to work with him, and be a part of this staff."
On the structure, mix of the Cowboys' defensive staff:
"Every single coach on this staff is a really good teacher — really good men — and it's exciting to come into our defensive staff rooms everyday, and be around these guys. … You've got a lot of different experiences. You've got guys that have coached in the league a long time and guys like myself, that have been doing it in the collegiate ranks. It was very evident to me, from the jump, CP was a guy I wanted to have an opportunity to learn from, to grow with and to work under."
On being a DFW product that's now gone from SMU to the Cowboys:
"It's a surreal deal to be in my hometown and to be able to do what I love. Growing up, as a kid, and seeing all the great Cowboys teams, it's awesome to be a part of the organization. I'm really looking forward to helping build this culture on defense."
On the type of ILB unit he plans to build in Dallas:
"No. 1, we're gonna be physical and a group that's not gonna turn it down. … The first thing we're gonna bring is to be a physical group, be dominant against the run, get off blocks, and be productive all-the-way-around linebackers. … We're not gonna compromise how hard we play, every single play."
On the current state of affairs on the ILB depth chart:
"Really excited to work with the men in that room. I talked to [DeMarvion Overshown] and already had a chance to meet with him a couple times. He's just an unbelievable, contagious energy when he walks in the building. That's the type of people you wanna have an opportunity to coach and work with.
"Same thing with Shemar [James]. It's a pretty cool deal with Shemar because the guy that was his [defensive coordinator and position coach for two years at Florida was my [graduate assistant] back in the day. There are a lot of similar people that I know that have coached him, and I love that I'm gonna be able to work with him."
On if the X's and O's for ILBs change going from 4-3 to 3-4:
"Linebacker play is linebacker play. So whether you're in an odd front or an even front, nickel personnel, the base fundamentals of playing linebacker are footwork, block destruction, run recognition, the coverage component; but, linebacker is still linebacker. So, from a developmental standpoint, yes, there will be multiplicity within the scheme and we're gonna build the scheme around our players, and what they do best, and continue to try and build a roster that fits what [CP] wants to do with it.
"… And we have unbelievable [defensive tackles] in front of us that's really fun to watch on film. We've gotta get the backers playing at a high level to draw those double teams off of the guys upfront so we can all make plays."
