Cowboys defensive coordinator Mike Nolan out after one season

ARLINGTON – After a rough first season in Dallas, defensive coordinator Mike Nolan is officially out.

The Cowboys officially announced on Friday afternoon that Nolan and defensive line coach Jim Tomsula would not return to the team for the 2021 season. Both were held responsible for one of the league’s worst defenses this past year. The Cowboys ranked in the bottom third of the NFL in nearly every statistical defensive metric. Although play improved towards the end of the season, Dallas’ defense still allowed 473 total points, the most in team history, and 2,541 rushing yards, second only to the 2000 squad.

“I am appreciative of my relationships with both Mike and Jim, and I am grateful for the contributions that both of them made to our team under difficult circumstances in 2020,” head coach Mike McCarthy said in via press release. “These are never easy decisions to make, and we wish them, and their families, the very best in the future.”