Jerry Jones Plans 'Very Intense' Search for New DC After Matt Eberflus Firing

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones pledged Wednesday to conduct a "very intense, complete, focused" search to find a new defensive coordinator.

Matt Eberflus got the boot after just one year on the job, and his exit didn't come as a surprise after Dallas ranked 30th in yards allowed and 32nd in scoring defense.

Jones attempted to reassure fans the Cowboys will hire a better replacement, and he said head coach Brian Schottenheimer will have input on the final decision:

He also gave a broad look into how the DC search will unfold:

The Cowboys' recent coaching hires will invite plenty of skepticism about how this all ends.

Bringing Dan Quinn aboard after he was fired by the Atlanta Falcons worked out nicely. The offense was consistently good with Kellen Moore as the coordinator, and Klayton Adams delivered a No. 2 finish in total yards in his first season.

But Jones has had plenty of whiffs on the coaching front.

Dallas stuck with Jason Garrett as head coach for far too long. Mike McCarthy's tenure unfolded largely how everyone thought it would, and the promotion of Schottenheimer underlined how the front office didn't have an actual plan for who came after McCarthy.

The successor to Eberflus will be the third defensive coordinator in as many seasons.

More than anything, the fanbase has basically watched the same story unfold for 30 years. Jones is optimistic about the Cowboys' fortunes, only to watch the team fall short of expectations. The cycle begins anew each offseason.

The methods that create that outcome haven't changed much in the intervening decades, either.

Dallas' defense can't be much worse than it was in 2025, so there's that. Otherwise, Jones' remarks Wednesday will do little to convince his doubters.