FRISCO, Texas — The search for a defensive coordinator has come to its conclusion in Dallas, and the Cowboys have made their choice. The organization is working to finalize a deal with Christian Parker, both sides having agreed to terms for him to join his former NFC East rival as the fourth defensive coordinator in as many seasons.
Brian Schottenheimer and the front office cast a wide net to ensure he's the final one for quite some time, once the deal is officially done.
Parker, 34, most recently put his defensive mind on display for the Philadelphia Eagles and went on to garner a lot of attention from other teams in this coaching cycle but, in the end, it's the Cowboys he chose to sign on with for 2026 and, hopefully, beyond.
Sometimes you have to go behind enemy lines to find the solution to a problem, and Schottenheimer is clearly unafraid of that reality. In seeking an interview with Parker, they were doing a couple of things simultaneously: potentially weakening their most bitter division rival, and plucking from the Vic Fangio coaching tree, Fangio having often given Dak Prescott fits in their matchups.
Parker is both a former wide receiver and cornerback who began his coaching career for Virginia State in 2013, as their defensive backs coach before taking on the same role at Norfolk State two years later.
He'd go on to stints with Notre Dame and Texas A&M, then to the NFL by way of the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos — where'd he spend a year with Fangio before ultimately joining him in Philadelphia.
With the help of Parker, Fangio's defense allowed the sixth-fewest passing yards and the fewest passing touchdowns in the league in 2025, helping to develop young players like Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean in to First-team All-Pro talents; and, of course, he carries a wealth of insider information regarding the weaknesses of the Eagles' offense. Prior to that, he spent time as Broncos' defensive backs coach, where he developed Patrick Surtain II into what he is now: a three-time All-Pro who is one of the best at his position.
This is who'll be coordinating the defense in Dallas going forward, a massive get with tremendous upside and fresh ideas for how to stop today's NFL offenses.
