FRISCO, Texas — As the Dallas Cowboys continue to widen their net to try and determine who'll be their defensive coordinator in 2026, the successor to Matt Eberflus, a couple of their most acclaimed position coaches are being afforded the opportunity to show their abilities at the collegiate level this offseason, officially marking the beginning of the 2026 NFL Draft season in the process.
Lunda Wells and Aaron Whitecotton, the Cowboys' tight ends coach and defensive line coach, respectively, have been tapped by the 101st East-West Shrine Bowl. The annual game, to be held this year at The Ford Center in Frisco, will feature Wells as head coach of the West team — a challenge he is extremely excited to take on.
"I'm deeply honored to take part in the 101st East-West Shrine Game," Wells told DallasCowboys.com. "This game has deeply impacted young men's lives on the football field, and also highlights the great work that the Shriners have done for many people that are in need through their charitable cause throughout the world! Truly an honor!"
He'll find himself trying to scheme a victory against Whitecotton, who was named defensive coordinator of the East team. It makes for a fun dynamic between the two that carries their baseline of having routinely scheming against each other at Cowboys' practice, daily, so they both know each other quite well.
In the end, it's the prospects who'll benefit most from their presence.
Wells is a former offensive line coach that has spent the last several years with the Cowboys coaching up tight ends such as Dalton Schultz and Pro Bowler Jake Ferguson, having spent his previous seasons with teams that include the New York Giants, and his collegiate background as an offensive line assistant and special teams coach at LSU gives him a unique ability to connect with and to teach budding NFL prospects.
And though Whitecotton's coaching resume is exclusive to the NFL ranks, the knowledge he can impart upon prospects while, like Wells, having the ability to help the Cowboys' scouting department to identify potentially worthy additions in the spring is invaluable; and his abilities currently have him in the running to potentially become the next defensive coordinator in Dallas.
So as this year's East-West Shrine Bowl gets underway on January 27, keep a keen eye on what Wells and Whitecotton are cooking.
