Dallas Hires Kris Richard To Defensive Staff

The Seahawks moved on from former defensive coordinator Kris Richard after the team agreed to terms with former Raiders defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. However, the 38-year-old coach has found a rebound job now that the Cowboys have decided to hire him to be the team’s next secondary coach and defensive passing game coordinator, according to Gee Scott of 710ESPN Seattle (Twitter link). Richard met with the team on Sunday to discuss a potential role, a source told Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

Kris Richard (vertical)

Richard coming to the Cowboys is a solid addition given the success he had in Seattle during his three-year tenure leading one of the best defenses in football. Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli will continue in his current role, but adding a former defensive play caller should certainly help the staff continue to build Dallas’ defense next season.

Under Richard’s guidance, the Seahawks finished in the top five in total defense in 2015 and 2016, but dropped to number 11 this past year. However, Seattle did lose key starters in Kam Chancellor, Cliff Avril and Richard Sherman. The Cowboys ranked as a top ten defense in 2017, but could always use more experienced voices in the locker room.

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