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The Indianapolis Colts requested to interview Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn on January 17, per a tweet by ESPN NFL Nation reporter Todd Archer.
The Denver Broncos will interview Quinn on January 20 for their vacant head coach position, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, making the Colts the second team to request an interview with him.
Dallas’ defense was among the top units in the NFL in 2022, ranking No. 1 in takeaways (33), tied for No. 5 in points allowed per game (20.1) and No. 12 in yards allowed per contest (330.2).
Defensive player of the year candidate linebacker Micah Parsons led Dallas with 13.5 sacks, the seventh-most in the NFL.
The list of potential Colts head coach candidates continues to grow, and the team has already completed seven interviews and inquired to speak to three more coordinators on January 16. In terms of in-house candidates, Colts special teams coordinator Bubba Ventrone and interim head coach Jeff Saturday are vying for the position, although Saturday still has yet to be interviewed.
Quinn’s Previous Experience
The Seattle Seahawks’ “Legion of Boom” defense was the league’s best when Quinn was the team’s defensive coordinator over a two-year span, starting in 2013.
That year, the Seahawks ranked first in takeaways, points allowed and yards allowed per game. Seattle followed that up with carbon-copy rankings in 2014.
Quinn earned his first head coaching gig leading the Atlanta Falcons in 2015. He made a 2017 Super Bowl appearance but lost to the New England Patriots in historic fashion.
After he started the 2020 season with a 0-5 record, Atlanta fired Quinn. To replace him, Falcons then-defensive coordinator Raheem Morris took over as interim head coach. Ironically, Quinn and Morris (who is currently the Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator) are both current candidates for the Colts’ vacant head coach role.
Quinn became the Cowboys defensive coordinator in 2021 and now seems poised to land a second stint as head coach.
Updates on Other Colts Candidates
Rumors of current Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh becoming the Colts’ head coach floated around during the latter stages of 2022, but his return to the Wolverines was announced on January 16. Harbaugh was never formally requested to interview with Indianapolis.
One candidate who did interview with the Colts on January 13 was Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson. Johnson, however, elected to remain in the same role in Detroit, NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported on January 17.
Another interviewee, Morris, reportedly had a meeting with the Colts that went “really well,” according to The Athletic’s Zak Keefer. Horseshoe Huddle lead analyst Zach Hicks tweeted that more interviews will be conducted, but Morris “very much feels like the favorite so far” to become the Colts’ head coach.
Morris is the only Colts candidate with previous full-time head coaching experience, as he replaced Jon Gruden in 2009 and remained the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach for three years. Morris was also able to win the 2022 Super Bowl within his two years as Rams defensive coordinator, bolstering his resume even further.
Blaine Grisak, who covers the Rams for the TurfShowTimes, echoed Hicks’ sentiment regarding Morris’ status to become Indianapolis’ head coach.
“I believe Morris has a legit chance to land this one,” Grisak tweeted. “Colts have a large pool of candidates, but Morris made an impression.”
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