Cowboys’ Bold Move: Why Hiring Marcus Dixon as DL Coach Could Change Everything on Defense

The Dallas Cowboys are shaking things up on their coaching staff, grabbing Marcus Dixon to take the helm as defensive line coach—talk about bringing in a familiar face, given his days on the field with Dallas from 2008 to 2010. Dixon steps in after Aaron Whitecotton’s recent exit to Tennessee, and that’s not all—the team’s also bolstered their defensive brains with Derrick Ansley overseeing the defensive pass game and Ryan Smith stepping up to coach the secondary. Dixon isn’t new to the grind, either; after stints with the Vikings, Rams, and Broncos, he’s back where some of his roots lie, ready to fire up that defensive line like never before. Between Ansley’s fresh experience from Green Bay and the Chargers, plus Smith’s tenure with the Cardinals, this coaching shuffle has ‘impactful’ written all over it. It’ll be fascinating to see how this trio reshapes Dallas’ defense going forward—trust me, the buzz is real. LEARN MORE

The Cowboys have hired Marcus Dixon as their new defensive line coach, Todd Archer of ESPN reports.

He replaces Aaron Whitecotton, who was hired by the Titans last week.

The Cowboys announced the hirings of Derrick Ansley and Ryan Smith. Ansley will serve as the defensive pass game coordinator and Smith will coach the secondary.

Dixon spent the past two seasons as the Vikings’ defensive line coach. His contract expired, and the Vikings had already replaced him with Ryan Nielsen.

He was the assistant defensive line coach for the Rams in 2021 and the defensive line coach of the Broncos from 2022-23.

Dixon spent time with the Cowboys as a player from 2008-10.

Ansley spent two seasons as the Packers’ defensive pass game coordinator after one season as the Chargers’ defensive coordinator. Smith was the Cardinals’ cornerbacks coach the past two seasons.