Familiarity brought DC Mike Zimmer back to Dallas Cowboys but he’s here to win a title

Mike Zimmer looked as comfortable and as natural in Dallas Cowboys colors on Wednesday as the did during his 12-year stint as an assistant coach with the organization from 1994-2006.

He’s back as defensive coordinator partially because of his familiarity with the franchise, especially owner Jerry Jones, and his relationship with head coach Mike McCarthy. Zimmer and McCarthy coached against each other in the NFC North when Zimmer was the head coach of the Minnesota Vikings and McCarthy was with the Green Bay Packers.

But make no mistake about it, Zimmer, who was part of the last Dallas Super Bowl title team in 1995, returned for one reason and one reason only.

He’s here, 18 years since his departure, to the help the Cowboys win championship again. The 2024 season that has already been declared as an “all-in” campaign by Jones and one that’s a make-or-break final run for McCarthy, who is in the last year of his contract.

“There is no other reason,” Zimmer said. “My grandkids are fine and all that, but I can see them any time. I didn’t come here to do all the work that we need to do if we’re not trying to win a championship. They have won 12 games in three straight years, right on the cusp. I think they have done a great job with the personnel on the team, good coaching staff. That’s the number one goal. I didn’t come to be average this year.”

The Cowboys and Zimmer reportedly came to terms last Thursday, but the deal didn’t become official until Monday.

Although another team had approached him about a job, he said there is no other place he wanted to be but to come to Dallas. He blamed the holdup on an illness.

“My daughter, who lives with me was torn up for a few days, and she got me sick,” Zimmer said. “I was in bed for a couple days, and then the Super Bowl was going on. We kind of slow-played it and went from there. There wasn’t any intense negotiations or anything like that here. I knew I wanted to be here. I knew they wanted me to be here.”

When Dan Quinn, the defensive coordinator since 2001, left to become he Washington Commanders head coach, the Cowboys interviewed Zimmer, former defensive line coach and now Seattle defensive coordinator Aden Durde, former Washington coach Ron Rivera, former New York Jets and New England Patriots coach Rex Ryan and Jets safety coach Marquand Manuel.

McCarthy said he was primarily focused on former head coaches. He said his history coaching against Zimmer, going back to when they were both coordinators, made the decision that much easier.

“I’ve always had such great respect for Mike,” McCarthy said. “We competed against each other so many times over the years. We kinda had two buckets we looked at as far as individuals who were tied to the existing defense and then looking at former head coaches was something, which points to my history is a preference I feel is very important. Then having the chance to sit down and talk to Mike. I just think it’s an incredible fit for us.”

Former passing game coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. was also an initial consideration, but the timeline of the Cowboys going through a full process didn’t fit. Quinn immediately hired Whitt as his defensive coordinator in Washington.

With McCarthy calling plays and focused on the offense, he preferred a coordinator who could be the head coach of the defense with that type of management experience.

“There are only so many minutes, so many hours in the day,” McCarthy said. “As a head coach, you are responsible for everything, but the reality is you can’t be everywhere. I think the importance of the leadership role on defense, outside of scheme, calling games and coaching players, there is so much more than goes on as far as assistant coaches. I think it’s important. Mike’s experience and success he’s had at every level is what makes this a great fit.”

Zimmer is probably the needed fit and the needed change for a Cowboys defense that finished fifth in the NFL in points allowed and yards allowed, but was exposed on the ground and gave up too many untimely and undisciplined penalties.

“We’re not trying to re-invent the wheel here,” Zimmer said. “They’ve been pretty good. We’re going to look at the players, try to figure out the best way to use them, put the scheme together. We want to take the good things that they’ve done and maybe add a few more other things we’ve done good in the past, will try to make this thing manageable where we’re disciplined, well-coached, where we’re playing together as a team. Try to make sure everybody understands their roles so that other people on the field can have success doing their job.”

Zimmer is known as a tough-nosed disciplinarian compared to Quinn, who is more of a players’ coach.

He says he has evolved over the years, but believes his old-school ways still work with today’s players.

“The ones who want to be great, they want to be coached,” Zimmer said. “There’s a lot more social media. There’s a lot more of the outside stuff going on. But the ones I have been around, the young guys, the ones that want to be great: they want to be coached. They want to study. They want to understand how they can get better. Most all the great players they want know how can you make me better.

“I think great players want to be great. You try to try to hit the button, however it is to make them better.”

What has not changed about him?

“Competitiveness. Being technique oriented. Being fundamental. Disciplined,” Zimmer said. “Those are the kinds of things that kind of get me grouchy.”

Zimmer said the greatest testament to his style is the number of former Cowboys players and Vikings players who have reached out to him since he got the job, talking about what he did for their careers and wishing him much success.

Zimmer’s personality will be a change for Cowboys defensive stars like All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons and cornerbacks DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs.

It will be a change for McCarthy too.

But with so much on the line, it’s also a perfect fit.

“I’ve always taken the approach that it is important to be respected before love,” McCarthy said. I think love comes later because I found that in my career that guys probably don’t appreciate me until after the fact, and that’s fine. It’s life. We’re all here to win a championship.”