Following a 2-3 start to the season, the Dallas Cowboys have added veteran defensive specialist Mike Pettine to their coaching staff as a senior defensive assistant, head coach Brian Schottenheimer announced Monday.
Brian Schottenheimer Announces Staff Addition in Frisco
Speaking in Frisco, Texas, Schottenheimer fulfilled a post-game vow to evaluate all options across the roster and coaching staff. Pettine arrives in Dallas after spending the previous four seasons on Kevin O’Connell’s staff with the Minnesota Vikings, where he served as assistant head coach and outside linebackers coach under defensive coordinator Brian Flores. Pettine’s 23-year NFL coaching career includes defensive coordinator stints with the New York Jets, Buffalo Bills, and Green Bay Packers, alongside a two-year stint as head coach of the Cleveland Browns from 2014 to 2015.
According to Schottenheimer, the decision to hire Pettine involved first-year defensive coordinator Christian Parker. “They worked together in Green Bay and, of fact, it was something that CP and I conversed about when we hired him,” Schottenheimer told reporters on Monday. The Dallas head coach noted that the franchise considered other candidates before settling on Pettine, whose extensive familiarity with 3-4 defensive schemes and personal history with several players made him an ideal advisor for Parker.
Connections to the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets
Pettine’s prior working relationships across the league directly shaped his appointment in Dallas. Schottenheimer and Pettine previously worked together with the New York Jets, while Parker and Pettine crossed paths while coaching for the Green Bay Packers. This shared background provides familiarity with personnel such as defensive linemen Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary, both of whom Pettine coached previously.
Reporting from PhillyBurbs.com noted that Pettine’s retirement following the 2025 season lasted just 10 months before accepting the senior defensive assistant role in Dallas. A native of Doylestown, Pennsylvania, and a 1984 graduate of Central Bucks West High School, Pettine previously served as a high school head coach in Pennsylvania before entering the NFL coaching ranks in the early 2000s.
Coaching Experience and Roster Implications for the Cowboys
The Cowboys enter the middle stretch of the season sitting at 2-3, with upcoming matchups against NFC East rivals including the Philadelphia Eagles. Schottenheimer emphasized that bringing in a 60-year-old coach with Pettine’s background provides essential guidance for Parker during his inaugural season as an NFL defensive coordinator.
“It is important to have someone with so much experience who can serve as a counselor, who has coached for a long time, who has been a coordinator, and who understands all the aspects and decisions that they must face in their roles,” Schottenheimer said. Pettine is expected to arrive at the team facility immediately following a recent trip to Italy.
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