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Broncos coach Jim Leonhard is a Cowboys defensive coordinator candidate
The Dallas Cowboys tend to move slower than most organizations when it comes to just about everything–signing free agents, giving contract extensions and, yes, hiring coaches. But in finding a replacement for defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, who was fired this week after a miserable first season in that role in Dallas, they’re moving relatively quickly.
Most teams with head coaching vacancies are still in the early stages of finding their own replacements. Typically, teams with coordinator openings have to wait until those jobs are filled to get a full complement of candidates for their jobs. But the Cowboys have already identified at least three potential candidates, and are seeking interviews.
As Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News reported on Twitter/X: “Cowboys request permission to speak with Broncos pass game coordinator Jim Leonhard, –Vikings pass game coordinator Daronte Jones and Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda to interview for vacant DC job according to a person with knowledge of the requests.”
It was later reported that the Cowboys’ request to interview Jeff Ulbrich of the Falcons was denied.
Cowboys Could Move on Jim Leonhard
For the Cowboys, Leonhard is probably the best-bet candidate in that first group, given the fact that coach Brian Schottenheimer has a history with him. Leonhard was a safety for the Jets from 2009-11, when Schottenheimer was the team’s offensive coordinator, Leonhard has limited NFL coaching experience, but was the defensive coordinator and interim head coach at Wisconsin before joining Sean Payton’s staff in Denver.
Schottenheimer was actually asked about Leonhard during Wednesday’s season wrap-up press conference at The Star.
“Jim is a heck of a coach. You talk about a great football player, man,” Schottenheimer said. “Jim is an excellent coach and I think they had a heck of a year.”
But, as veteran Cowboys reporter Ed Werder of WFAA added, “Leonhard is not the defensive play-caller in Denver. That’s Vance Joseph. But he’s Sean Payton’s assistant head coach/passing game coordinator. Broncos held five opponents without a TD this season while also leading NFL in sacks past two seasons with franchise-record totals both times.”
GettyHead coach Brian Schottenheimer of the Dallas Cowboys
Limited NFL Experience Among Candidates
The two other candidates the Cowboys are looking at, initially at least, have limited NFL experience, too. Banda spent 12 years coaching in college, beginning at Incarnate Word in 2011 and ending at Utah State in 2022. He joined the Browns’ staff in 2023, and his boss in Cleveland–defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz–could become a Cowboys candidate depending on whether he has a future in Cleveland.
Jones has a wide range of experience, from coaching small colleges (Nicholls State, Bowie State), to two years as a Louisiana high school coach, to landing at major colleges (UCLA, Wisconsin) to coaching the CFL (Montreal Alouettes). He made the leap to the NFL as a defensive backs coach for the Dolphins in 2016, and other than one year as the LSU defensive coordinator in 2021, he has been in the NFL since.
He is currently with the Vikings and, like Banda, could wind up competing with his current boss for the Cowboys job–Vikings DC Brian Flores could be an Eberflus replacement for the Cowboys, though that possibility is a longshot.
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
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