The Dallas Cowboys won a Super Bowl more recently than they've hired a defensive coordinator who is under 40 years old, if that tells you anything about the possibility of hiring a young mind - even if they have DFW ties.
While the Dallas Cowboys had their attention focused on a list of candidates for their defensive coordinator vacancy, their heads turned sharply as the division-rival New York Giants landed top head-coaching free agent John Harbaugh after his firing from the Baltimore Ravens.
While Harbaugh's integration into the NFC East may cause a jolt in urgency, it also could directly affect Jerry Jones and Brian Schottenheimer's search for Matt Eberflus' replacement to lead the defense.
Jonathan Gannon, Jim Leonhard and Daronte Jones are said to be the leading candidates given that they've received second-round invites to The Star, but one name that received a preliminary interview might see an abrupt change of plans.
Zach Orr, Harbaugh's DC with the Ravens, spoke with Jones and the Cowboys, but many now expect that his former boss' hiring will lead to him also landing in the Big Apple.
"Details like coaching staff will be discussed more today, but there's an expectation Harbaugh will wish to bring a good amount of his coaches from Baltimore to the Giants," CBS Sports reporter Jonathan Jones said this week.
Orr, 33, is one of the most coveted defensive minds in the sport due to his youth and high-level experience already under such a trusted voice in Harbaugh. Whether he sticks with his former head coach or takes his own route will be what dictates the Cowboys' next round of interviews.
If he turns away from the bright lights of New York, we figure Dallas to be a place that might feel like home for Orr.
Because it is.
Orr graduated from DeSoto High School in the South Dallas area where he shined on the Eagles' renowned program before enrolling at nearby University of North Texas in Denton. Orr played linebacker for the Mean Green from 2010-2013, then made the jump to the pros and signed with the Ravens as an undrafted free agent in 2014.
His playing career ended two years later when he stayed in Baltimore as a defensive analyst for three seasons. After spending the 2021 season as an outside linebackers coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars, Harbaugh brought Orr back to coach the inside backers from 2022-23.
He earned the promotion to coordinator next, and has guided the Ravens' defense for the past two seasons, which were plagued greatly by unfortunate injuries. Baltimore had a top-10 defense in Orr's coordinating debut, but fell outside of the NFL's top 20 in 2025.
Still, Dallas is leaving no stone turned after a historically bad Cowboys defense ranked at the bottom of the league. Orr is the youngest of any of the candidates to receive an interview from Jones.
Dallas hasn't hired a defensive coordinator younger than 40 since 1989 when Dave Wannstedt took the job. Orr has the credentials, but it remains a long shot.
Now, his future could also be dictated by Harbaugh's intentions with the Giants.
We will see how next week transpires, but if Orr remains a candidate for Dallas, it's a homecoming story that Cowboys fans can surely get behind.
