Cowboys add Darian Thompson as defensive assistant

The Dallas Cowboys have hired former DB Darian Thompson as its new assistant linebackers coach in addition to working as a quality control coach, sources tell ESPN’s Todd Archer.

Thompson, a former third-round draft choice in 2016, played for the Cowboys from 2019 until he stepped away from the game in 2021. He was a coveted special teams player and was respected enough to be brought in post-retirement.

He’ll join former NCAA All-American DT Sharrif Floyd, who the Cowboys are also expected to hire, as recently retired NFL players that are making quick turnarounds into coaching with the Cowboys. He spent his four-year career with the Minnesota Vikings before retiring in 2017.

Cowboys hiring Sharrif Floyd as assistant defensive line coach

The Dallas Cowboys hired Sharrif Floyd to be a member of their coaching staff on Thursday afternoon, according to Field Yates and Todd Archer of ESPN.

He was a former first-round pick of the Minnesota Vikings in the 2013 NFL Draft. Floyd played his college football for the Florida Gators and he spent time working with the Dallas Cowboys’ staff this past training camp. He will be working with the Cowboys as their assistant defensive line coach and their defensive quality control coach.

Coming out of George Washington High School (Philadelphia, PA), Floyd was one of the highest-rated prospects in America in the 2010 cycle. According to the On3 Consensus Rankings, Floyd was rated as a five-star prospect and the No. 2 overall defensive line prospect in the country.

He was a part of the Gators’ 2010 recruiting class, which was one of the most highly rated in college football recruiting history. He joined the likes of Ronald Powell, Dominique Easley, Matt Elam, and Josh Shaw, in earning five-star rankings for that season’s recruiting class.