Getty Former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn and Matt Ryan #2.
After one impressive season with the Dallas Cowboys as a defensive coordinator, Dan Quinn is back to being a hot coaching candidate.
And according to Cowboys insider Michael Gehlken, the former Atlanta Falcons head coach has already completed interviews with the Denver Broncos and Minnesota Vikings.
He is also on tap to interview with the Miami Dolphins and Chicago Bears. Gehlken also added that the New York Giants have submitted a request for Quinn but have yet to schedule a former interview.
Cowboys DC Dan Quinn has completed interviews with the Broncos and Vikings. He is next scheduled to interview with the Dolphins on Thursday and Bears on Saturday. Interview with NFC East rival Giants, who submitted request today, has yet to be scheduled, sources said.
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Quinn Coached 6 Seasons in Atlanta
Quinn, 51, was on his sixth season and finished his time with a 43-42 overall record when he was fired as the Falcons head coach.
Prior to the start of the 2020 season, Quinn had posted consecutive 7-9 season records. The downfall began just after taking his team to the 2017 Super Bowl when Kyle Shanahan was the offensive coordinator.
Quinn’s playoff record in Atlanta was 3-2, including a brutal 34-28 overtime loss to the New England Patriots during Super Bowl after blowing a 28-3 third-quarter lead.
Despite his haunting playoff past, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero believes Quinn has all of the perfect qualities to be a head coach.
“I certainly understand if people focus on what happened toward the end in Atlanta or they focus on 28-3 or what happened in the Super Bowl, but if you’re looking for leadership and the ability to build a culture, Quinn has shown that he can do that,” Pelissero said via DenverBroncos.com.
“It’s not as much of a projection as it is with some of the first-time head coaches. You’ve seen it, you know what his strengths are, you know what his weaknesses are. You’ve seen how he would do it, and from all accounts, his time away last season really helped him get a better grasp on when he gets the next opportunity — and he’s going to be selective — when he gets that next opportunity, here’s how he’s going to make it that much better and that much more sustainable.”
Quinn’s turnaround in Dallas has been extraordinary as he’s taken the worst Cowboys defense in franchise history and turned it into one of the league’s top defenses which finished the 2021 season ranked No. 7 in points allowed, No. 19 in yards allowed and first in takeaways with 33.
Not to mention he has also produced two Pro Bowlers in cornerback Trevon Diggs and rookie linebacker Micah Parsons.
Broncos Also Interviewed Cowboys OC
Another name on the Broncos’ radar is Cowboys’ young offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
Moore, 33, has moved up in the coach rankings faster than the average joe. He began his journey coaching the Cowboys’ quarterbacks, just after ending his own playing career in 2018.
It only took him a year before he was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2019 under Jason Garrett and he ended up staying put in the same position under Mike McCarthy in 2020. The Cowboys currently sit at No. 2 in total offense and in scoring across the NFL.
With both Quinn and Moore up for head coaching jobs, you would think there was some kind of competition between the two.
However, that is not the case.
ESPN and Jon Machota of The Athletic recently shared that Quinn had been helping Moore prepare for his interviews.
“Some good insight on the ESPN game broadcast. Cowboys DC Dan Quinn went through a mock interview w/ Cowboys OC Kellen Moore last week to get him ready for his interview with Jacksonville. Brian Griese said Moore told him his interview last night with the Jaguars was about 2 hours,” Machota wrote on Twitter.
Don’t be surprised if both Moore and Quinn are head coaches in 2022.
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