How Did the Dallas Cowboys’ Assistant Coaches Shape the Team This Season?

There are still some unknowns, and the Dallas Cowboys could see some coaching changes in the offseason.

But one group of coaches to assess as the team heads into its offseason is that of the assistant coaches.

We assess which assistant coaches performed well with their position groups this season.

Assessing the Dallas Cowboys’ 2023 Assitant Coaching Staff

First-Year Assistant Coaches

Offensive Line Coach Mike Solari

Mike Solari has a history with the Cowboys and Mike McCarthy, as he worked with McCarthy in Green Bay and previously coached with the Cowboys in the 80s.

Solari had to be flexible with an offensive line constantly shifting around and didn’t have its full starting five until October because of injuries. The offensive line was vital in ensuring a trickle-down effect to ensure the offense could succeed.

Dak Prescott was sacked 39 times this season, meaning protection could have been better. However, when Prescott was more mobile and getting hit outside the pocket more this season than in the past, there were learning lessons for everyone.

Solari said that having versatility within the offensive line will help the players grow and learn to adjust.

Quarterbacks Coach Scott Tolzien

The ties to McCarthy on the coaching staff don’t stop there. Scott Tolzien was one of McCarthy’s former quarterbacks in Green Bay and played for him for three seasons.

McCarthy gave Tolzien his first shot at coaching in 2020 as a coaching assistant, but this year was his first year as the Cowboys’ quarterbacks coach.

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Dak Prescott played some of his best football this season under Tolzien and McCarthy’s new playbook. Tolzien said the most impressive thing he had learned about Prescott halfway through the season was how Prescott was applying all of his experience in his play.

Although Prescotts started all season, and Cooper Rush only saw the field in fourth-quarter blowouts, Tolzien continues to work with him and Trey Lance.

Being a former backup quarterback, Tolzien can help mentor growth for Cooper Rush and Trey Lance. Lance can especially soak this up in time for training camp to see if he can have a shot at taking the team’s backup role.

Running Backs Coach Jeff Blasko

The Cowboys’ run game also has fingerprints of McCarthy’s days in Green Bay.

Jeff Blasko also worked with McCarthy in Green Bay and made the move to Dallas in 2020 when McCarthy did. Blasko spent his first three years in Dallas as the team’s assistant offensive line coach before taking on his current role as the running backs coach this season.

Blasko took a medical leave of absence in Week 1 for over a month this season.

Although the Cowboys’ front office admitted that the run game isn’t where it needs to be, Blasko shouldn’t take the full hit for that. With a new West Coast scheme centered around the passing game, this season was a growing pain for the run game, and it showed.

Upon his return, Tony Pollard said the coach’s previous experience with the offensive line room helped him see things in the run game differently.

If you want a silver lining, Blasko’s way of coaching the running backs helps them identify the correct opposing players to block in game-time scenarios. This boded well for Pollard this season, as he had his best season of pass protection yet.

Veteran Assistant Coaches

Linebackers Coach Scott McCurley

Another assistant coach in Green Bay with ties to the McCarthy era is Scott McCurley.

Although this was McCurley’s first season back as the Cowboys’ linebackers coach, he was previously in this position in 2020 and 2021. McCurley worked under Mike McCarthy for 13 years as a defensive assistant in Green Bay.

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This season was challenging for McCurley, who lost both DeMarvion Overshown in the preseason with a season-ending ACL injury and Leighton Vander Esch with a neck injury.

These injuries left the linebacker room thin and young, which didn’t always work to their advantage. Damone Clark and Markquese Bell were the only two in this position, which is a difficult ask for young players.

Clark was in his second season, and although the effort was there, he needed more time to grow and learn. As for Bell, he was a converted safety who did well until opposing teams used his size to their advantage.

He also has the challenge of ensuring that Micah Parsons is being utilized in a productive way as a linebacker.

McCurley said using Parsons on and off the ball was the plan for the team’s bye week.

Considering his linebacker room was built like safeties this season, they adjusted to what they had. It’s expected that this room will have some much-needed additions next season, whether via draft selection or acquiring talent in free agency.

Defensive Line Coach Aden Durde

Aden Durde doesn’t have former ties to McCarthy, but he does to Dan Quinn. Durde has spent the last three seasons with the Cowboys but spent the three before then working under Quinn in Atlanta.

He has one of the most challenging jobs, especially since games are won or lost in the trenches.

The defensive line relied on its veteran experience since the group’s youth was still developing. The run defense continues to be an area of concern for the team and has been one of its downfalls for the last two years.

Durde will need to use all of the talent in the D-line room to ensure this becomes an issue of the past come next season. This includes Mazi Smith, who has been criticized for his development in his first season.

With Johnathan Hankins, Dorance Armstrong, Dante Fowler, and Neville Gallimore heading into free agency this offseason, there could be more need for the younger talent to step up if the team cannot reacquire its older talent.

Secondary Coach Joe Whitt Jr. 

Another assistant coach who has a history with Quinn is Joe Whitt Jr. Whitt has been with the Cowboys for the last three seasons. He came to Dallas to follow Quinn as the two coached together when Quinn was head coach of the Falcons.

DaRon Bland’s development in his two seasons working with Whitt has been massive. With Trevon Diggs going down with a season-ending ACL injury in September, Whitt had to adjust players quickly from the inside to the outside. Luckily, he also had Stephon Gilmore to slide in and help take the veteran role.

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He also looks over the team’s safety room, which underperformed for most of the season. The middle of the field was often left vulnerable, and that was on full display in the Cowboys’ loss to the Packers in the Wild Card Round.

If Quinn does depart from the team in the offseason, Whitt could be a viable option to take over as the defensive coordinator if he chooses not to follow Quinn again.

Ahead of the Cowboys’ bye week, he admitted wanting to work his way up to be a head coach in the NFL one day, so taking the next step in his career as a defensive coordinator would make sense.

Wide Receivers Coach Robert Prince 

This was Robert Prince’s second season with the Cowboys as their wide receivers coach.

Prince had an array of talent at his disposal this season, and with this being a pass-heavy offense, it was all needed.

CeeDee Lamb had the best season of his career and emerged as one of the NFL’s top receivers. Although he had to ask for the ball more after the bye week, he explained why he was the team’s best one.

Prince also had Brandin Cooks in his room to help give the room the veteran leadership it needed last season. Cooks and Prince worked together when they were both in Houston, so the assistant coach rallied for him to come to Dallas once the opportunity presented itself.

The wide receiver room going into 2024 is still stacked, and there will be some tough decisions made at training camp, especially with the younger talent. 

Tight Ends Coach Lunda Wells

As for Lunda Wells, he is the team’s longest-running assistant coach, having started his tenure in 2020.

Although the tight end room didn’t perform up to expectations in the passing game this season, to assess the room fairly means assessing everything tight ends contribute to in the offense.

Under McCarthy’s new offensive scheme, tight ends were primarily used in pass protection and run blocking.

The young tight end room was going to be a challenge for Wells as Jake Ferguson needed to take a significant jump as the team’s starting tight end; Peyton Hendershot had an injury most of the season, and Luke Schoonmaker is a draft-and-develop player.

With more experience for the entire room going into 2024 and McCarthy’s playbook no longer being new, this room has the potential to shine brighter next season.

As the 2023 NFL season comes to a close, the 2024 NFL Draft is on the horizon. Pro Football Network has you covered with everything from team draft needs to the Top 100 prospects available. Plus, fire up PFN’s Mock Draft Simulator to put yourself in the general manager’s seat and make all the calls!