We all know the Cowboys lack a defensive identity, and that is a problem that needs to be fixed after the season.
This isn’t just a bad season. What I’ve watched is a defense that never knows what it wants to be. There is no calling card and no offense feared anything this defense has thrown at them.
The defensive leadership has failed on multiple fronts. From playing in a scheme that doesn’t match the personnel, to adding big names to the front four and still not stopping the run.
I don’t want the next hire to be only about finding a better playbook. The man leading this defense has to decide what this defense is supposed to be.
Because guessing hasn’t worked.
I’m Finished With the Defensive Guessing Game
I don’t want another coordinator who sounds good in a press conference and then spends Sundays reacting to offenses instead of dictating.
I’m tired of defenses that look different every week but never better.
Good defenses have an identity:
- Fast
- Physical
- Disciplined
- Creative
Has anyone of you who have watched the Cowboys defense this year seen any of these traits in a game?
That is why the names about to be brought up matter — not because of fame, but because of what they represent.
Al Harris Feels Like a Tone-Setter
We all know and love Al Harris. His stint in Dallas as the Secondary Coach under Dan Quinn produced the best years of our current cornerbacks.
In Chicago, Al Harris has made the Bears secondary one of the better secondaries in the NFL.
Word around the campfire is in the next few games, Harris will be auditioning for a defensive coordinator position next season.
What stands out to me about him is how hard his players compete, tackle, play with an edge, and don’t look confused. That alone would be an upgrade.
Yes, he would be a first-time defensive coordinator, and I’m fine with that.
How many times have the Cowboys tried retreads at defensive coordinator, and it did not work out? I’m looking at you, Mike Zimmer and Matt Eberflus.
Harris feels like someone who would set the standard, not just go with the flow.
Dan Quinn Is the Stability Option
The one retread that worked, and it hurt to see him go. What he did in Dallas worked, and it’s been all downhill since he left for Washington.
The defense played faster, they believed in him, understood the defense, and all of this matters more than people might want to admit.
Context matters too. His situation in Washington has changed the conversation around him.
Anyone can see his seat is getting hot in DC and even after taking over play calling duties on defense, the results haven’t magically turned around.
If we were able to see Quinn come back, it would not be about innovation. It would be about fixing the confidence and structure of this defense.
Something we have seen him do before.
Kris Kocurek Is About the Trenches
If I’m being honest, Kris Kocurek might be the best hire for the players we have on the roster and the cleanest identity hire on the board.
I don’t know if many of you have watched the San Francisco 49ers, but the defensive line has been decimated by injuries and they are still competing.
That wouldn’t happen without elite coaching.
I’m tired of watching the Cowboys get pushed around and the act surprised. Kocurek fixes that immediately because he would build the defense from the front to back.
That’s how sustainable defenses are built.
He has never been a defensive coordinator and I don’t care. If Dallas wants an identity rooted in physicality and effort, this could be the hire.
Anthony Weaver Is the Quietly Smart Bet
Anthony Weaver doesn’t come with much hype, but he comes with credibility.
If you look around the internet, you will find he is being mentioned in early 2026 head coaching conversations.
His background with Baltimore shows up in how his defenses adapt week to week instead of running the same plan and hoping it works this time.
What I like most is that his systems are built to survive roster turnover. That matters in Dallas, where it seems like change is constant on the defensive side of the ball.
If the Cowboys want a modern defense instead of nostalgia, Weaver makes a lot of sense.
Steve Belichick The Wildcard
I know the name will bother people.
But Steve Belichick has actually called defenses, and he has coached in systems that value disguise, leverage, and situational football, not just raw talent.
This wouldn’t be a motivational hire, but it would be a football hire.
After watching Dallas repeatedly get out-adjusted, that sounds pretty nice.
The other thing is that Jerry Jones and Steve’s dad, Bill Belichick, are good friends.
Also, maybe having dad as a consultant wouldn’t be too bad either. It’s just the type of move Jerry Jones likes to get in the headlines.
Glenn Schumann the Swing for the Fences Hire
Glenn Schumann would be the long-term play at defensive coordinator.
The University of Georgia loses elite defensive talent every year and the defense never falls off. That doesn’t happen unless the system is for real.
Reports suggest Georgia is confident it can keep him, and he’s not chasing NFL jobs right now.
But Jerry Jones is a pretty persuasive guy and if Dallas wants to stop recycling the same coordinator types and actually build something special, this is the type of swing they need to take.
This is a high ceiling hire that creates optimism on defense and with the fans.
Where I Land In the Defensive Coordinator Hire
I don’t want the Cowboys to fix their defense anymore.
I want them to decide who they are.
Whether that means:
- Al Harris bringing accountability
- Kris Kocurek building the trenches
- Anthony Weaver installing a sustainable system
- Dan Quinn restoring belief
- Or Glenn Schumann swinging for the future
Please, just stop guessing. Because the only thing I’m sure of is this, a defense without an identity will never be good enough, no matter who’s calling the plays.
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