Christian Parker is deep in the weeds interviewing candidates to join his staff. It’s been a thorough process, but the dominoes should start falling quickly now that he’s closing in on his first hire.
According to CBS Sports' Matt Zenitz, the Dallas Cowboys are expected to hire Arizona Cardinals cornerbacks coach Ryan Smith. The hire is not official just yet, but ESPN's Todd Archer reported that Smith is interviewing in person on Thursday, with the deal essentially done amid interest from other teams.
There admittedly aren’t many metrics that cast Arizona’s secondary in a flattering light, but the unit’s struggles in 2025 don’t automatically reflect poorly on Smith or his qualifications.
If you rewind the clock to 2024, the Cardinals' defense was quietly elite in the second half of the season, allowing the fewest passing touchdowns (10) of any team over the final 11 games, while ranking fourth with just 19.6 points allowed per game in that same span.
The #Cowboys are expected to hire #Cardinals cornerbacks coach Ryan Smith, sources tell @CBSSports.
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 29, 2026
Helped Arizona allow the fewest passing TDs in the NFL the final 11 games in 2024. Before Arizona, coached players like 2021 first-round pick Caleb Farley at the college level. pic.twitter.com/IN21mcgVwT
Cowboys DC Christian Parker closing in on hiring Cardinals CBs coach Ryan Smith
Smith has only been coaching in the NFL for three years, but his background is highly impressive. He coached under Curt Cignetti, who is fresh off leading Indiana to a national championship, and Bryant Haines, who is the Hoosiers' defensive coordinator, at James Madison.
Smith spent three seasons as an assistant under Cignetti, and even though their paths crossed before Cignetti's meteoric rise in Bloomington, that early exposure alone should excite Cowboys fans.
Very quietly, Smith was a crucial piece forJames Madison in 2019, coaching the safeties and serving as a pro scout liaison. Under his guidance, the Dukes tied for seventh in the FCS with 17 interceptions, 11 of which came from the safety position, on their way to the FCS National Championship Game.
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Before joining the Cardinals three years ago, Smith coached in the college ranks for nine seasons, making stops at Virginia Tech (cornerbacks coach, pass game coordinator), Northwestern (CBs coach), Elon University (secondary coach), and Penn State (graduate assistant).
If it becomes official, Parker will preside over a cornerback room that includes DaRon Bland, Shavon Revel Jr., Caelen Carson, Reddy Steward, Twrikweze Bridges, and Zion Childress. The expectation is that the Cowboys will draft a CB with one of their two first-round picks.
To say the secondary underperformed in 2025 would be the understatement of the year. Say what you will about the personnel, it was evident early in the season that the group was poorly coached.
With Parker’s background as a defensive backs coach in Philadelphia and Denver, paired with Smith, Cowboys fans will finally have reason to believe coverage will improve in 2026 once the hire becomes official.