Zimmer to interview with Chargers

Friday, Feb 16, 2007
By Casey Pearce, Chargers.com

Atlanta Falcons defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer will be the fifth candidate to interview for the Chargers head coaching position when he meets with team officials Saturday.

“We’ve met with four great football minds in the last three days, and Mike is another guy who has had a lot of success,” General Manager A.J. Smith said.  “Like our previous interviews, I’m just looking forward to talking a lot of football with him and learning more about his ideas.”

Prior to joining the Falcons last month, Zimmer had spent the previous 13 years with the Dallas Cowboys.  He began his professional career as a defensive assistant under Barry Switzer and was promoted to defensive backs coach in his second season in Dallas.  He became the team’s defensive coordinator in 2000.  In Zimmer’s 13 seasons, the Cowboys finished in the top 10 defensively seven times.

While several coaches came and went during his time in Dallas, Zimmer was a source of stability.  He survived four different head coaching regimes with the Cowboys, and when Bobby Petrino took the Falcons head coaching job in January, one of his first moves was to hire Zimmer.

“He’s worked with a lot of different people, and they all have great things to say about him,” Smith said.  “Mike is highly respected around the league.  From the research I’ve done on him, I’ve heard nothing but positive things about both the person and the coach.”

Like the previous four candidates that have interviewed with the Chargers, Zimmer has been part of a championship team.  His second year in Dallas culminated with a Super Bowl victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers.  At the time, Zimmer was the Cowboys’ secondary coach, and under his watch, Larry Brown became the first cornerback in league history to be named MVP of a Super Bowl.

“Once again, I love talking to people who have been where we’re trying to get,” Smith said.  “Mike has had his hand in developing a lot of good football players and putting them in positions to make plays.  I’m excited about hearing how he’s done that.”

Zimmer also has a background in various schemes.  In 2005, he oversaw the Cowboys’ transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4 base defense.  In their first year in the new system, Dallas heavily relied on three rookies yet finished 10th in the NFL in total defense.  Opponents completed just 54.7 percent of their passes against the Cowboys’ secondary, the second-lowest number in the NFL.  

In his second season as a defensive coordinator in 2001, Zimmer’s group improved to forth in the NFL in total defense a year after finishing 14th in the category.  Zimmer’s defense led the NFL in total yards allowed in 2003, his first season working with Bill Parcells.  

Before joining the Dallas staff, Zimmer spent five seasons as the defensive coordinator/secondary coach at Washington State. Zimmer's first Cougar defense in 1989 established a school record with 24 interceptions and 48 sacks. In 1993, the Cougars finished eighth in the nation in total defense and second in rushing defense.  He also held college jobs at Weber State and Missouri.