Tag: Matt

FRISCO, Texas — The dominoes are beginning to fall quickly following the announcement of Brian Schottenheimer as the tenth head coach in the history of the Dallas Cowboys, as the offensive coordinator turned lead man looks to begin building his regime in a way that hopefully, and swiftly, returns the team to the top of the mountain.

And he’s betting on Nick Sorensen and Matt Eberflus as two keys to potentially achieving that mission as early as 2025. Eberflus is no stranger at all to the organization, its fans or some players who were present during his first stint and who are still in the building.

“[He runs] a vision defense that’s going to run to the ball and tackle,” said veteran cornerback Jourdan Lewis, having learned and developed under Eberflus in 2017. “The front four are going to attack! I [love the reunion].”

A comment like this makes you wonder the impact the move will have on the mind of a player like Lewis — a Pro Bowl caliber cornerback preparing to make a decision in free agency.

And as a related aside, Eberflus’ reunion with the Cowboys also reunites him with Malik Hooker, the two having spent multiple seasons together for the Indianapolis Colts.

The linebackers coach from 2011 through 2017, Eberflus was so talented in his ability to develop players and to scheme that he was eventually named defensive passing game coordinator as well, prior to departing to become defensive coordinator in Indy. .

His return to Dallas should be met with a round of applause, and provides an instant counterweight to Schottenheimer’s inexperience as a head coach — a major reason the latter chose to add the former, seeing as Eberflus is now also a former head coach.

Expect stellar development from the linebackers, a unit that now boasts young talent like DeMarvion Overshown and Marist Liufau, and the potential unleashing of Micah Parsons in, well, all the ways that terrorize an opposing quarterback.

Sorensen is the former defensive coordinator of the San Francisco 49ers, joining a Dallas team he’s often schemed against recently — named special teams coordinator for the Cowboys in 2025. He served in that role previously for the Jacksonville Jaguars (2021) before joining the 49ers one year later, also a former safety who often took the field on special teams.

He was the overseer of the Jaguars’ special teams group that helped former All-Pro returner rack up 525 return yards on 22 returns, adding a record-setting 102-yard touchdown return to that season’s bottom line — his time in Jacksonville (and with the Seattle Seahawks) overlapping with that of Schottenheimer’s, and the two formed a longstanding relationship in the process.

It also doesn’t hurt that Sorensen will be able, and more than willing, to share all of the inner workings of the 49ers, a team that’s been the most challenging opponent for the Cowboys over the past several seasons.

Do not discount that type of intel, seeing as it’s insanely priceless.

The recent departure of Al Harris, Robert Prince and John “Bones” Fassel highlight the need for not only expediency in forming the staff, but also in getting the right people to fill the roles — Fassel having also taken assistant special teams coordinator Rayna Stewart with him to the Tennessee Titans.

This means Sorensen will need to identify his assistant coordinator, news that is likely to arrive in short order.

Replacing Fassel will be a tall task, objectively speaking, seeing as his contributions to the Cowboys go beyond simply making their special teams unit one of the best in the NFL after several years of, prior to his arrival, it being a complete afterthought in both the return game and at placekicker; and it was Fassel who scouted and convinced the Cowboys to give KaVontae Turpin and Brandon Aubrey a shot, both having become All-Pros and Pro Bowlers.

The hire of Sorensen ties into the addition of/reunion with Eberflus to begin rounding out the most important coaching roles below Schottenheimer.