Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is a finalist to become the next head coach of the Washington Commanders. Norv Turner was the last Dallas coordinator to become a Washington head coach in 1994.
On Tuesday, when Ben Johnson withdrew his name from consideration for Washington’s coaching job, Quinn had just finished his second interview with the Commanders. Suddenly, the smoke surrounding Quinn as a serious contender for the job appeared accurate.
Quinn has been the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator for the past three seasons. Before that, he was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons for six seasons. His work as the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive coordinator from 2013-14 led to his only head coaching opportunity in Atlanta.
Quinn turned around the Dallas defense. Players love him. Micah Parsons jokingly said he’d go wherever Quinn went. Unfortunately for Washington, that’s not possible.
But, as we’ve learned over the past week, Quinn is not a popular choice amongst Washington fans.
Why? First, he’s not Johnson. Commanders’ fans have PTSD from the graphic featuring the 2013 coaching staff that features four current head coaches, including one Super Bowl winner (Sean McVay) and another who has appeared in multiple Super Bowls (Kyle Shanahan)
The Washington coaching staff in 2013 featured 4 assistants who are now NFL HCs whose teams went to the Playoffs this year, and DB Coach Raheem Morris was just hired by the Falcons over Bill Belichick. The team went 3-13. pic.twitter.com/Trmgnr92yR
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) January 25, 2024
Secondly, Washington fans want an offensive coach. Can you blame them? With the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, fans hope the Commanders select a quarterback and hope to see the new head coach and quarterback work together in the same system for years.
Thirdly, Commanders’ fans just aren’t all that excited about another former Dallas coordinator. Right or wrong, the last memory of Quinn and the Cowboys was that terrible performance in a blowout loss to the Packers in the NFC wild-card round.
Retread is the most common word fans use in describing Quinn. That’s not entirely fair. Quinn is an excellent coach. Quinn is a leader of men — something GM Adam Peters stressed was important in his selection for the next head coach.
Over the past three seasons, Quinn’s work in Dallas has been outstanding. Using the DVOA metric from FTN, here’s where the Cowboys finished in total defensive DVOA:
- 2021: 4th
- 2022: 4th
- 2023: 5th
The DVOA metric is arguably the best tool available at measuring a defense’s effectiveness.
But let’s look at Quinn’s time as head coach of the Falcons. In five-plus seasons (he was fired during the 2020 season), Quinn amassed a record of 43-42, including a 3-2 mark in the playoffs. The peak of Quinn’s time in Atlanta came in Super Bowl LI when the Falcons led 28-3 and allowed Tom Brady and the Patriots to come back and win.
After that season, offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan left to become head coach of the 49ers. Quinn’s record without Shanahan is 24-29. His defenses in his final years in Atlanta weren’t great, either.
If Quinn is the hire, he must convince Peters he can build an elite offensive staff capable of developing a young quarterback.
Another reason Washington fans will have a hard time with Quinn is Ron Rivera. Sure, these are two completely different men, but there are similarities. Both are former NFC South head coaches who lost in the Super Bowl and were fired from their previous jobs. Quinn and Rivera are defensive-minded head coaches with a reputation for strong leadership.
It’s important to point out there is a major difference: Quinn will be a coach only. Unlike Rivera, he will not be involved in personnel.
There are shock jocks on the radio saying fans are dumb for not being enthusiastic about Quinn. Give me a break. Fans have a right to feel however they choose.
New owner Josh Harris has a lot on his plate. In addition to trying to build a winning team, he’s trying to win back fans and fill out the home stadium with Washington fans — not Dallas fans. Hiring Quinn wouldn’t exactly galvanize the fan base.
That’s not to say hiring Quinn wouldn’t work. He’s highly respected and, with the right support and an improved roster, can win in Washington. That part is Peters’ job.
But don’t tell Washington fans they have to be excited when they’ve waited far too long for something to be excited about. But Washington fans should also give Quinn a chance — IF he’s the pick.