FRISCO, Texas — The work continues to rebuild the defensive staff under newly-hired defensive coordinator Christian Parker, and the Dallas Cowboys have landed yet another target on that side of the ball — namely, Marcus Dixon.
Dixon and the Cowboys have officially agreed to a contract that adds him to the coaching staff as defensive line coach, a role he knows exceptionally well, and the same can be said about his familiarity with the organization as a whole; and replaces Aaron Whitecotton, who departed to reunite with Robert Saleh for the Tennessee Titans.
The 41-year-old native of Georgia was once a player on the Cowboys’ roster, having clawed his way into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2008, signed by Dallas at defensive end before eventually playing for the New York Jets, Kansas City Chiefs and Tennessee Titans.
Following a brief stint in the CFL for the BC Lions, Dixon launched his coaching career, heading back to Hampton, where he was once a First-team- All-MEAC (2007) edge rusher but, this time, to coach up their defensive line and as director of p[layer development and recruiting coordinator.
His abilities to teach and develop got him noticed by the Los Angeles Rams in 2021, joining them as assistant defensive line coach for a unit headlined by Aaron Donald, then landing a promotion to defensive line coach for the Denver Broncos in 2022.
It was there he met and coached alongside Parker, and the two have now found themselves reuniting in Dallas after Dixon’s recent two seasons as D-line coach under Brian Flores for the Minnesota Vikings — helping to lead one of the best defenses in the entire NFL in 2025.
Dixon’s hiring marks the third after Parker, also signing Ryan Smith to coach the cornerbacks and secondary and Derrick Ansley to help that cause, as pass game coordinator and defensive backs coach.
With a long, and growing, list of other candidates still in the mix, the picture is beginning to become much more clear for the Cowboys and their new-look defense.
