Cowboys hire veteran NFL coach out of retirement to fix their horrendous defensive start.

Mike Pettine came out of retirement and joined the Dallas Cowboys' defensive staff after their disappointing Thursday loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Cowboys were "pathetic" against the Bucs, do they still deserve to be the favorite in the NFC East? | FTF

The Dallas Cowboys lost 24-16 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last night and are now 2-3. Nick Wright, Chris Broussard and Kevin Wilds ask what's wrong with the Cowboys, and whether they still deserve to be the favorite in the NFC East.

The Dallas Cowboys have yet to resolve their defensive struggles, which date back to the 2025 campaign, and an upset home loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on "Thursday Football" prompted the addition of a new coaching staff.

Longtime NFL coach Mike Pettine has been hired by the Cowboys to serve as a senior defensive assistant alongside defensive coordinator Christian Parker, 34, who has seen his unit struggle in his first year at the position.

"It's something we've talked about for a long time. I think as we looked at everything, we had an opportunity to convince Pat that it made sense for him," head coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters.

"I think he's excited to come in and add experience and value. The most important thing for us was to make sure we got the right guy, and I'm very, very confident we did that."

That appears to be a long time coming for the Cowboys, as Parker himself approached Pettine about joining his defensive staff when he hired him for the job in January. Parker is the youngest defensive coordinator hired in Cowboys history, and he wanted someone familiar with him on his staff.

Parker's first NFL job was as a quality control coach in 2019 with the Green Bay Packers. Pettine was the team's defensive coordinator at the time. Schottenheimer also knows Pettine well, as the two previously worked together on Rex Ryan's staff with the New York Jets.

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However, Pettine had already retired before the 2026 season when Parker was assembling his staff. But after the Cowboys' loss to rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels and Bucs last Thursday, which gave Tampa Bay its first win of the season, Dallas returned to Pettine, who came out of retirement and joined the staff.

From 2022 until last season, Pettine served as an assistant coach to Kevin O'Connell with the Minnesota Vikings. He was also the senior defensive assistant for the Chicago Bears during the 2021 season.

The Cowboys aren't planning to replace Pattin Parker as defensive coordinator, but instead allow the two to work together again to turn around the wild results of the first five weeks.

Dallas, which moved to 2-3 in the postseason, has the second-most yards per game (395.4) in the NFL so far, with only the Detroit Lions giving up more. The Cowboys also have the worst defense, giving up 168.4 yards per game in that area, while ranking 26th in points allowed per game (27.2).

Just like last season, the team's wins have been driven by Dak Prescott and an offense that ranks seventh in the league in points per game (27.6).

Although players and coaches alike say Parker's communication and program have been strong so far, Pettine has significant experience that might turn the tide. However, owner Jerry Jones and others invested in the team's success want results on the field.

"When you bring someone into that role, you want it to be someone that the coordinator, the head coach, trusts, because otherwise I can put two people in the same room and say, well, he's in charge, but I want you to give him feedback. If they don't have a relationship, then how can they contribute to anything?" Schottenheimer continued.

Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Christian Parker walks to the locker room after a loss to the New York Giants on September 13, 2026 at Met Life Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Dallas Morning News)

"So, that's how it started, and Pat was excited about retiring. He's been doing it for a long time, and as we've been talking about it over the last couple of weeks, it just made more sense to him."

The Cowboys will see Peters' former team Pettine and Parker in an opening matchup on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 6.