The Dallas Cowboys hired Mike Pettine as a senior defensive assistant after a 2-3 start and a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to the source report. Pettine will work with defensive coordinator Christian Parker; the team does not plan to replace Parker in the role.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer said the club had discussed bringing Pettine aboard for some time and expressed confidence in the hire. Parker had previously approached Pettine about joining the staff when Parker was appointed defensive coordinator in January, but Pettine had retired before the 2026 season.
Pettine and Parker have worked together before. Parker’s first NFL job was with the Green Bay Packers in 2019, when Pettine was the team’s defensive coordinator. Schottenheimer also previously worked with Pettine on the New York Jets staff.
The report says Dallas entered the hire ranked second-worst in the league in yards allowed per game, at 395.4, and last in rushing defense, allowing 168.4 yards per game. The Cowboys were also allowing 27.2 points per game, while their offense averaged 27.6.
Pettine most recently worked as an assistant head coach for the Minnesota Vikings from 2022 through last season. He was a senior defensive assistant with the Chicago Bears in 2021. Dallas is scheduled to face his former Packers team in Week 6, the report said.
