Seattle Seahawks hiring Cowboys DL coach Aden Durde as new defensive coordinator
The Seattle Seahawks are hiring away Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Aden Durde to be the team’s new defensive coordinator under first-year head coach Mike Macdonald, according to Tom Pelissero. Durde, who had interest from Dallas, as well as Green Bay, Los Angeles and Atlanta, is getting his first opportunity to coordinate an NFL defense.
It is the highest rank Durde has reached in the NFL, however, he did coordinate the defense for the London Warriors for six seasons. A London, UK native, Durde played football in Europe with the London Olympians before making the practice squads for the Carolina Panthers and Kansas City Chiefs.
He joined the Cowboys staff with defensive coordinator Dan Quinn from the Atlanta staff in 2021. He also previously worked with new Falcons head coach Raheem Morris. In Atlanta, he was an outside linebackers coach.
Though he was considered a prime in-house candidate to take over the Dallas Cowboys defense when Dan Quinn left to become the head coach of the Washington Commanders, it appears he’s headed to the West Coast with the Seahawks instead. Meanwhile, Dallas will now have to replace Durde as defensive line coach.
The Cowboys announced Mike Zimmer as their new defensive coordinator under Mike McCarthy on Thursday.
Cowboys hire Mike Zimmer to replace Dan Quinn
New Cowboys coordinator Mike Zimmer interviewed with the team on Saturday and got the job less than a week later. The 67-year-old took his first job with the Cowboys way back in 1994. Dallas was a year removed from Jimmy Johnson, so Zimmer’s first boss was Barry Switzer who hired him to assist with Dallas’ nickel defensive coverages. Zimmer also survived coaching changes from Switzer to Chan Gailey, Dave Campo and Bill Parcells.
He became the Cowboys defensive coordinator in 2000. Zimmer left Dallas in 2007 to serve as DC for the Atlanta Falcons. He also worked the same role with the Bengals. Then the Vikings hired Zimmer as their head coach in early 2014. He lasted eight years with the Vikings and became one of the franchise’s most winningest coaches. Zimmer hasn’t worked in the NFL since 2021.