Fmr. Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer reportedly returning to NFL as Cowboys’ defensive coordinator
MINNEAPOLIS — Two years after being fired as the Minnesota Vikings head coach, Mike Zimmer is reportedly returning to the NFL.
The Dallas Cowboys are expected to hire Zimmer as their defensive coordinator, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reports per his sources. Zimmer coached in Dallas from 1994 to 2006.
Now 67 years old, Zimmer has been one of the most respected defensive minds in football. He's coming into a good situation in Dallas, too, as their defense is stacked with talent, including Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs and Daron Bland.
In January 2022, the Vikings fired both Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman after the team failed to make the playoffs for a second consecutive season and the fifth time in eight years.
Zimmer joined the Vikings in 2014, and led them to a 72-56-1 record across eight seasons. His win percentage is the third-best in Vikings history behind Bud Grant and Denny Green. The team did not get above .500 at any point in either of Zimmer's last two seasons as coach.
The Vikings won the NFC North twice under Zimmer, and never finished last in the division.
In the 2017-2018 season, Zimmer's best year, the Vikings went 13-3 and made it to the NFC Championship game, where they lost 38-7 to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
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Spielman had been with the team since 2006, and held the general manager title since 2012. He was the man who hired Zimmer in 2014.