When the Dallas Cowboys quietly elevated Al Harris from respected position coach to a multi-year, high-visibility figure in their defensive staff, it felt like the sensible pairing of elite talent and elite teacher.
Harris, a physical, veteran corner who translated his playing career into a coaching approach that prized technique, anticipation, and an aggressive mindset, had overseen the dramatic ascents of Trevon Diggs and DaRon Bland. Both players exploded into league-leading play under his tutelage, and their success was as much a product of Harris’s pedagogy as it was natural ability.
When Harris accepted a role on the Chicago Bears’ staff in January of this year, the Cowboys lost more than a coach.