WORLD · VERIFIED DEVELOPMENT
Dallas Cowboys Hire Mike Pettine as Senior Defensive Assistant
WHY IT MATTERS
The Cowboys' defensive struggles have been a concern, with the team allowing the second-most yards per game in the NFL and the worst run defense. The hiring of Pettine is an attempt to change these results and improve the team's performance.
What happened
The Dallas Cowboys have hired longtime NFL coach Mike Pettine to address their defensive struggles. Pettine will work alongside defensive coordinator Christian Parker, who has seen struggles from his unit in his first year at the post.
The move comes after a home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which gave Tampa Bay its first win of the season. Pettine had previously retired before the 2026 season but came out of retirement to join the staff.
He has experience as an assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings and a senior defensive assistant with the Chicago Bears.
PRIMARY SOURCES
Cowboys hire longtime NFL coach out of retirement to address team's brutal defensive start
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CORRECTIONS & UPDATES
- Revision 1 · Initial ingestion · Oct 13, 2026, 8:15 AM
- Revision 2 · Source update detected · Oct 13, 2026, 8:15 AM