When the Cowboys elected to part ways with former head coach Mike McCarthy earlier this month, the writing was on the wall for defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer, who joined the Dallas staff in 2024 and whose future with the club was tied to McCarthy’s. Zimmer has now confirmed that he will not return to the Cowboys as a member of new HC Brian Schottenheimer’s staff, and that he will likely retire from coaching in the NFL (per WFAA’s Ed Werder, who confirms prior reports that Matt Eberflus is in line to replace Zimmer as DC). 
Given that Zimmer is now 68, retirement was an obvious option as soon as it became clear he was unlikely to be back with the Cowboys in 2025. Now, it seems he is more certain about stepping away from the NFL sidelines for good. Werder adds Zimmer likely would have been interested in Dallas’ HC position had he received an offer, but that did not come to pass.
Zimmer began his coaching career as a defensive assistant with the University of Missouri in 1979, and his first professional gig came as a defensive assistant on the Cowboys’ staff in 1994 (he earned a Super Bowl ring as a member of the club in 1995). He worked his way up the Dallas ranks and operated as the team’s defensive coordinator from 2000-06 before taking the same job with the Falcons in 2007 and then working as the Bengals’ DC from 2008-13.
Although Cincinnati famously never won a playoff game during Marvin Lewis‘ tenure as head coach, Zimmer’s arrival in the Queen City coincided with the team’s ascension to regular competitiveness. During his six-year stint as defensive coordinator, the Bengals never finished lower than 15th in total defense and posted two top-10 and two top-five finishes in that span. That run of success garnered Zimmer head coaching interest, and the Vikings hired him as their HC in 2014.
Over the course of eight years in Minnesota, Zimmer coached the team to a record of .500 or better five times. The Vikings made three playoff appearances during his tenure, but after a pair of losing seasons in 2020 and ’21 – along with no runs beyond the divisional round during his overall time in Minnesota – Zimmer was dismissed. For the following two years, he remained out of the pro game by handling a consultant role under Deion Sanders at Jackson State and then Colorado.
After seeing Dan Quinn depart to take the Commanders’ head coaching gig, the Cowboys prioritized experience in looking for his replacement. Rex Ryan was firmly in the running last offseason, but in the end Zimmer returned to his former position amidst high expectations. Quinn led Dallas’ defense to a fifth-place finish in both points and yards allowed in 2023, and a repeat of that performance would have gone a long way in allowing for another postseason appearance this past year.
In addition to Zimmer’s unit losing a number of key players after they followed Quinn to Washington, though, injuries were a defining aspect of the campaign. The likes of Micah Parsons, DeMarcus Lawrence, Trevon Diggs and DeMarvion Overshown (amongst others) all missed time with major ailments and the Cowboys ranked near the bottom of the league in several defensive categories. Especially with McCarthy not coming back, Zimmer’s decision to step away comes as little surprise.
The latter said in August he would welcome the opportunity to once again serve as a head coach in the NFL, but he added he felt that would be unlikely. Interest in Zimmer could be generated if he changed course and elected to continue coaching, but for the time being it appears his time on the sidelines is coming to an end after 23 years as either a coordinator or head coach at the pro level.
Rory Parks contributed to this post.
I would say this is good news for Cowboys fans but you never know who Jerry is going to hire to replace him.
Call Belichick about joining his staff.
In my opinion Zimmer wasn’t that bad of a head coach. Being stuck with Cousins as your QB wasn’t exactly a big help either. Cousins is steady, but not exactly a superstar. Zimmer studied under Mr Mediocrity,aka Marvin Lewis, and was a chip off the block. Teams could do worse than Zimmer. I was hoping he might go back to the Bengals, but I think Taylor’s fragile ego would take a hit and he would be thinking Zimmer is there as a head coach in waiting. Zim should retire, kick back on the beach and watch his GF run around in a bikini.
That last part sounds good if you get paid to pitch Corona beer while watching the GF frolic on the beach 🙂