Frisco, Texas — Dan Quinn has made a decision about his NFL future. According to multiple reports, including NFL.com, the Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator is expected to accept the role of head coach of the Washington Commanders, a move that is sending shockwaves all around.
He replaces Ron Rivera, whose managers parted ways this offseason.
The future for the Cowboys will be to clean up their defensive staff and determine who leaves to join Quinn and who stays and potentially gets promoted or moves into a new role.
The 53-year-old underwent a multi-day interview tour around the league, with several teams interested in making him their newest head coach, including the Carolina Panthers and Tennessee Titans. , the Los Angeles Chargers, and the Seattle Seahawks. And even the commander in Washington.
And while his recent departure on defense in Dallas hurts his resume as a defensive coordinator, it's one of very few.
Quinn joined the Cowboys in that role after head coach Mike McCarthy decided to part ways with Mike Nolan after just one season, divorcing the then-head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Quinn, for one, quickly changed the culture of thinking around positions such as safety, as well as production levels on-site.
His defense consistently led the league in both quarterback pressures and takeaways, turning players like cornerbacks Trevon Diggs and Daron Brand into NFL historic figures.
He has overseen the rise of historic defensive talents like Micah Parsons, Trevon Diggs, and Daron Brand, the latter of which was extremely impressive considering all the factors working against him. And the fact that he's only in his third year in the league.
In Super Wild Card Weekend's matchup against Jordan Love and the Green Bay Packers, Dallas' defense ultimately left much to be desired, but time and time again the Cowboys have become a team whose success is driven by explosiveness. It is a fact that it happened. Exactly that defensive power.
In each of the past three seasons, Quinn has been one of the most popular coaches in each offseason cycle, but in the past two iterations, Quinn has chosen to remain with the Cowboys.
Now he's off to try his hand at head coaching for the second time in his illustrious NFL coaching career, and in the process guarantee himself a matchup with the Cowboys at least twice each season going forward.
