FRISCO, Texas -- With Matt Eberflus leaving, the Dallas Cowboys have reached an agreement with Kris Richard to be their defensive passing game coordinator, sources confirmed.
Richard spent the previous three seasons as the Seattle Seahawks' defensive coordinator but was a surprise dismissal after the 2017 season by head coach Pete Carroll. Eberflus, the Cowboys linebackers coach since 2011, is expected to become defensive coordinator with the Indianapolis Colts once Josh McDaniels is named head coach following Super Bowl LII.
Eberflus was given the passing game coordinator title last season, during which he effectively managed the back seven of the defense and relayed the calls by coordinator Rod Marinelli, who also runs the defensive line.
Richard helped develop the famed "Legion of Boom" secondary with Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor, before becoming the coordinator after Dan Quinn left to be head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
The Cowboys run a similar scheme as that of the Seahawks; but with young secondary players including Chidobe Awuzie, Jourdan Lewis, Xavier Woods, Byron Jones and Jeff Heath, Richard can help their development.
The Cowboys also need a linebackers coach and have interviewed John Pagano.They are close to hiring Kellen Moore as quarterbacks coach. And they are expected to keep Gary Brown as running backs coach.
Dallas already has hired Paul Alexander (offensive line) and Sanjay Lal (wide receivers), and it is looking at Keith O'Quinn as special-teams coach. The tight ends job remains open.