The Dallas Cowboys are wasting no time building their new defensive staff. After hiring former Eagles passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Christian Parker on Wednesday, the Cowboys made two additional defensive coaching hires on Saturday.
Derek Ansley is the new defensive pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach, while Ryan Smith is the new secondary coach, per ESPN Cowboys reporter Todd Archer. Ansley got his start as a grad assistant at Alabama and worked his way through the college ranks, coaching at Tennesse and Kentucky as well. He had a brief stint as the defensive backs coach for the Raiders in 2019 before making his full jump to the NFL in 2021 with the Chargers, serving as their defensive coordinator in 2023. Most recently, he was the passing game coordinator for the Packers.
Smith, meanwhile, is a young, up-and-coming defensive assistant. He had successful stints coaching at the college level at James Madison, Northwestern, and Virginia Tech. Most recently, he was the Cardinals‘ cornerbacks coach, and will now have similar responsibilities for the Cowboys as their secondary coach.
The Dallas Cowboys Defense Needed a Major Overhaul
GettyDETROIT, MICHIGAN – DECEMBER 04: David Montgomery #5 of the Detroit Lions runs the ball against DaRon Bland #26 of the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter at Ford Field on December 04, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
Last year, first-year head coach and recently-promoted offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer hired former Bears HC Matt Eberflus as his defensive coordinator in Dallas. The Eberflus hiring did not pan out, as the Cowboys ranked near the bottom of the league in most defensive metrics. Dallas ranked 30th in total defense, 32nd in passing defense, 23rd in rushing defense, 32nd in scoring defense, 32nd in EPA per play allowed, and 24th in total sacks.
That is an astonishing level of defensive ineptitude, but it wasn’t all Eberflus’ fault. The Cowboys struggled through injuries and the declining play of their stars in the secondary all season, culminating in releasing former All-Pro CB Trevon Diggs late in the year. Famously, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made the decision to trade away perennial All-Pro and Defensive Player of the Year candidate ED Micah Parsons to the Packers. Dallas got a decent return on that trade, but willingly parting with one of the best players in the league rarely makes your team better.
Parker and his staff will be tasked with getting more out of this unit in 2026. It remains to be seen what defensive additions the Cowboys will make this offseason, but the pathway to Dallas becoming an elite defensive unit right away are pretty narrow — and rely on Parker doing a lot of the heavy lifting.
The Dallas Cowboys Can Reascend to the Top of the NFC East in 2026
It wasn’t a banner year for the Cowboys in 2025, but there were still positives to build on, particularly on offense. Dallas QB Dak Prescott regained his old form, one of the leading contenders for Comeback Player of the Year and leading a scintillating offense. Trade acquisition WR George Pickens balled out in a contract year, and Schottenheimer looked good in his first season.
The defensive struggles need to be remedied, but the Eagles limped to the finish line last year and look vulnerable. The NFC East is there for the taking, and the Cowboys could claim it.
Cowboys Hire Two New Defensive Coaches as New DC Christian Parker Fills Staff