The Cowboys’ search for ways to help their defense improve has led them to Mike Pettine.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said at a Monday press conference that the team has hired Pettine to serve as a senior defensive assistant. Pettine has worked with both Schottenheimer and defensive coordinator Christian Parker in the past.
Pettine was the defensive coordinator for the Jets from 2009-2012 and Schottenheimer ran the team’s offense for the first three of those seasons. Pettine moved on to run the Bills defense the next year and was the Browns’ head coach in 2014 and 2015. He served as the Packers’ defensive coordinator from 2018-2020 and Parker was a quality control coach in Green Bay for the final two years of that run.
Pettine was most recently the assistant head coach and outside linebackers coach in Minnesota. He parted ways with the Vikings after the 2025 season.
The Cowboys are 2-3 after last Thursday’s loss to the Buccaneers. They rank 26th in points allowed and 31st in yards allowed this season.