Aden Durde joined the Seahawks coaching staff as defensive coordinator on February 13, 2024 following three seasons (2021-23) as the Cowboys defensive line coach. He returned to Dallas in 2021 after beginning his NFL coaching career there during training camp as a Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship intern in 2014 and 2015.
In 2023, Durde saw second-team AP All-Pro LB Micah Parsons set a career-high with 14.0 sacks and join Hall of Famer Reggie White as the only players since 1982 to record 13.0 or more sacks in each of their first three NFL seasons. In three seasons under Durde, Parsons 40.5 sacks made him the fifth player since 1982 to record at least 40 sacks in his first three seasons, joining Reggie White (52.0), Derrick Thomas (43.5), Aldon Smith (42.0) and Dwight Freeney (40.0). Parsons was also a three-time Pro Bowler and three-time AP All-Pro (first-team in 2021-22).
Durde's guidance of the defensive line saw continued success in 2022 as the unit contributed 44 of the defense's 54 sacks on the season, including Parsons 13.5 sacks as the linebacker played the vast majority of his snaps as an edge rusher on the line in his second season. Parsons joined Aldon Smith and Reggie White as the only players since 1982 with 13.0-plus sacks in both of their first two seasons. The defensive line also realized career seasons from Dorance Armstrong, who tallied a career-best 8.5 sacks, and Osa Odighizuwa, who had 4.0 sacks and an additional five tackles for loss. Overall, Dallas' 54 sacks ranked third in the NFL in 2022 and were the most by a Cowboys defense since 59 sacks in 2008. The unit also forced the fourth-most negative plays in 2022 with 115.
In his first season at the helm of the defensive line, Durde's unit produced 23 sacks and pressured opposing quarterbacks on 237-of-684 opponent dropbacks, the third-most in the league in 2021, per Pro Football Focus. With a foot injury to DeMarcus Lawrence, rookie Parsons accumulated a franchise rookie record 13.0 sacks.
Prior to Dallas, Durde spent three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons under Dan Quinn, where he was first a coaching intern (2016), then a defensive assistant (2018-19) and finally the outside linebackers coach (2020).
In 2020, two Falcons linebackers surpassed the century mark in tackles - Foye Oluokun (team and career-high 116) and Deion Jones (105), while Jones' career-high 4.5 sacks also led all team defenders. Additionally, Durde filled in as the team's defensive line coach at Minnesota (10/18/20) when both of the Falcons two defensive line coaches did not travel for the game due to COVID-19 restrictions. In 2019, Durde assisted in overseeing a defensive line unit that was anchored by Grady Jarrett and Tyeler Davison.
Durde joined the Falcons after serving as the head of football development at NFLUK, where he helped guide the International Player Pathway program. Working with Super Bowl champion and former Falcon Osi Umenyiora, Durde helped four international players, tight end Alex Gray (Atlanta), defensive end Alex Jenkins (New Orleans), defensive end Efe Obada (Washington), and linebacker Eric Nzeocha (Tampa Bay) transition to practice squads in 2017.
Prior to his work with NFLUK, Durde spent training camp with the Falcons as part of the Bill Walsh NFL Diversity Coaching Fellowship in 2016. He also worked as a coaching intern for the NFL's fellowship program with the Cowboys during training camp in 2014 and 2015. Durde also served as the defensive coordinator of the London Warriors for six seasons (2011-16).
He played linebacker in NFL Europe for six years with the Scottish Claymores and Hamburg Sea Devils and was a member of Hamburg's 2007 NFL Europa World Bowl XV Championship team, the final championship in the European league history. He also spent time on the practice squads of the Carolina Panthers (2005) and Kansas City Chiefs (2008).
Born on July 10, 1979, in North London, England, Durde and his wife, Kate, have two sons, Kane and Dylan.
