Mike Zimmer reacts to return as Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator

After an 18-year hiatus, Mike Zimmer is back in Dallas as the defensive coordinator of the Cowboys. The former Vikings head coach is preparing for his first OTAs with the team and loving the fact that he can see familiar faces around the Star – even if things look a lot different than they did back at Valley Ranch. Zimmer previously spent 12 years as an assistant for the Cowboys from 1994 to 2006, including the last six as defensive coordinator.

“It’s great,” Zimmer said of his first weeks coaching the Cowboys again. “This place is unbelievable with everything that they have here and the facilities. It’s great to see the people that I knew when I was here. It’s pretty good.”

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy called Zimmer up to fill the shoes of Dan Quinn following the DC’s departure to become the head coach of the Commanders. The defense was one of the best in the league during Quinn’s tenure, so the shoes to fill are pretty big. Working with McCarthy, who primarily focuses on the offense and play-calling, Zimmer is finding a groove.

“It’s going good,” Zimmer said. “He spends a lot of time with the offense but he comes in and we sit down and talk about scheme, players, and situations and things like that. So yeah, it’s been good.”

Of all the aspects of Zimmer’s return to Dallas that he’s enjoyed, none come before the players he has begun to get to know. Ahead of OTAs, the coordinator is teaching the fundamentals necessary to start intense training on the right foot.

“Probably being around the players,” Zimmer said. “These last couple of weeks, this phase two stuff, it’s been a lot of fun. Teaching them not just their position but other positions, why we do certain things, that’s been the best part.”

Zimmer gets to work with first-rounder Mazi Smith

One of Mike Zimmer’s most important tasks this offseason is the development of defensive tackle Mazi Smith. Dallas didn’t get the production out of defensive tackle Mazi Smith that fans may have expected from a first-round draft pick in his first year. The former Michigan star dropped weight during the season and ended the year with 13 tackles in 17 games.

Now, coming off of shoulder surgery and putting on weight, Smith is working with his new defensive coordinator to get where he needs to be. Zimmer believes he has a strategy to put the young defender in a better position to succeed this year once he returns to full-go.

“He lost a lot of weight when he got here,” Zimmer said. “He was trying to be an attacking 3-technique to get up the field.”

“We’re gonna probably play blocks a little bit more, and try not to get reached so linebackers know where they’re supposed to fit — so forth and so on,” he added. “That’s the biggest thing. … Yeah, it’s what he did in college.”

Though some have shut the door on Smith considering his low impact in Year 1, Zimmer’s new plan for him should get him back in the mix. His second year will serve as the true test of whether the Cowboys hit on their selection.