Report: Dallas Cowboys expected to hire Green Bay Packers defensive pass game coordinator Derrick Ansley

The Dallas Cowboys are expected to hire Green Bay Packers pass game coordinator Derrick Ansley, according to CBS Sports. Ansley previously served as the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles Chargers.

Ansley began his career as a college coach. This includes several stints in the SEC at Alabama, Tennessee and Kentucky. He made the jump to the NFL briefly in 2018 as DB coach for the Las Vegas Raiders. Coaching under Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa, Ansley is a two-time national champion (2011, 2017) as an assistant coach.

He returned to college after being named defensive coordinator at Tennessee. Ahead of the 2021-22 season, he returned to the NFL when he joined the Chargers as DB coach.

Ansley joined the Packers as its pass game coordinator ahead of the 2024 season. Now, he’s off to Dallas where join a Cowboys squad that went 7-9-1 this past season under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer. They had one of the league’s top offenses, ranking seventh in the NFL in points scored, and Dak Prescott had the third-most passing yards.

However, Dallas’ 30.1 points per game allowed ranked last in the NFL, which led to a change at defensive coordinator. Matt Eberflus is out and Christian Parker is now in after coming over from the Philadelphia Eagles.

This was an expected move, as much of the Cowboys’ issues in 2025 were on the defensive side of the ball. Eberflus oversaw the NFL‘s No. 30 ranked defense. This past season was the first time any Cowboys defense has allowed at least 30 points per game during a season.

Additionally, the Cowboys were last in third down, red zone, and passing defense. The results hardly improved even as Pro Bowl defensive lineman Quinnen Williams and linebacker Logan Wilson came over via trade, and linebacker DeMarvion Overshown returned from injury. Of course, the Cowboys traded the biggest piece of their defense before the season in Micah Parsons, who ironically Ansley got to coach in Green Bay before he went down with a torn ACL.

Entering year two of the Brian Schottenheimer era, high expectations will once again be placed on the Dallas Cowboys. They’ll be looking to make the postseason for the first time since 2023.