Cowboys’ Joe Whitt Jr., Aden Durde Invited to NFL Coach Accelerator Program

Dallas Cowboys coaches Joe Whitt Jr. and Aden Durde will be among 40 coaching candidates to network with NFL ownership and club executives in an effort to continue to increase head coach diversity.

A pair of Dallas Cowboys defensive coaches continue to be considered among the top prospects in the NFL ... and their stock is about to rise even higher. 

The league announced plans this week to host a second-annual Coach Accelerator Program on May 21-23 at the Spring League Meeting in Minneapolis. The coach accelerator aims to increase exposure between owners, executives, and diverse coaching talent, providing ample opportunity to develop and build upon their relationships. In a change to the nomination process this year, clubs were able to nominate those from outside of their organization.

The Cowboys will be represented in 2023 by defensive line coach Aden Durde and secondary coach Joe Whitt, Jr. 

Durde, a native of Middlesex, England, began to emerge as a promising prospect in the coaching ranks as head of football development at NFLUK, where he helped guide the International Player Pathway program. He also served as the defensive coordinator of the London Warriors for six seasons. Durde joined the NFL in 2018 as defensive quality control coach for the Atlanta Falcons, under then-head coach – and current Cowboys defensive coordinator – Dan Quinn. He would remain in that position through the end of 2019, when he was named Falcons outside linebackers coach prior to the start of the 2020 NFL season. The Cowboys hired Durde as their defensive line coach in January 2021, reuniting the 47-year-old with Quinn. 

Whitt, Jr, who has previously drawn interest from both the Baltimore Ravens and Indianapolis Colts for their recent defensive coordinator vacancies, has worked as Dallas' secondary coach and pass game coordinator since 2021. His resume includes a 10–year stay with the Green Bay Packers, in which he served as defensive pass game coordinator and cornerbacks coach – helping the Pack to a championship victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. Whitt also spent time as the secondary coach/pass game coordinator for the Cleveland Browns, as well as the Atlanta Falcons. In addition to working with a talented Cowboys secondary, he has been reunited with both Quinn and head coach Mike McCarthy, with whom he worked in Atlanta and Green Bay respectively. The 44-year-old is among 16 participants who attended the inaugural program in May 2022.

In turn, the NFL continues to have high hopes for the program, which appears to be a part of their plans for the long haul. 

"In the year since its inception, we've been encouraged by the positive response to the Accelerator from both club owners and participants," said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. "We look forward to continuing to build on an incredible program that supports diverse talent."

In accordance with Goodell's statement, the 40 participants were nominated for attendance based on their high potential to be considered for a head coach position in the future. Judging by the level of interest in both Durde's and Whitt's services in recent years, it appears that both will continue to be hot coaching commodities for the foreseeable future. 

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Follow Mike D’Abate on Twitter @mdabateNFL.

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