5 head coaching candidates who could replace Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy
3. player. 123. . . . Dan Quinn
Sometimes, looking within is the answer. Dallas already has a tested former head coach on their roster. The main difference is Dan Quinn is a defensive-minded coach. He is one of the longer-tenured coaches out there right now. At 51-years-old, the New Jersey native has coached for six NFL teams and four colleges. He played a crucial role in helping the Legion of Boom with the Seattle Seahawks play their best.
He was the defensive coordinator in Seattle for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. The Seahawks fielded the top defense both years, which resulted in a Super Bowl ring and Super Bowl appearance.
That short span was enough to convince the Atlanta Falcons to hire him as the head coach. Quinn didn’t replicate the same defensive success in Georgia, except for the 2017 season. He did, however, run an efficient offense headlined by making a Super Bowl appearance in 2016.
His background as a defensive guru with an efficient offense will attract teams. Unfortunately for Dallas, the Denver Broncos and Chicago Bears likely view Quinn as their ideal target.
Cowboys DC Dan Quinn: “I wasn’t coming here to look what my next job would be. I wanted to come in here, have a blast & hopefully kick ass.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) December 27, 2021
“If (head coaching opportunities) come, I’ll be ready for them…But I’m having a blast being right here with this crew and going for it.”
To Dallas’ advantage, he is already with the team and has his defensive system set. The turnaround from historically bad in 2020 to respectable but playmaking was impressive. Maybe he will want to finish the job with America’s Team.
The Cowboys have a young defense. Four players that played more than 50% of the defensive snaps are 26 or younger and will be back next year. That is a core of four players that can stick around for at least four more seasons.
Quinn already turned down an interview with the Jacksonville Jaguars. In that, he stated, “… I’m having a blast being right here with this crew and going for it.” Hopefully, the quick playoff exit for the Cowboys didn’t change that. Or, maybe he feels he can lead the team to glory himself.