The Washington Commanders hire Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as their head coach, ESPN reported on Thursday morning.
Quinn, 53, replaces Ron Rivera, who was fired last month during a Washington front office overhaul.
Two people with knowledge of the decision confirmed the move shortly after the initial report to the Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team had not yet made an announcement.
Quinn just completed his third season with the Cowboys. He was the Falcons’ head coach for more than five seasons (2015-2020), going 43-42 with a Super Bowl appearance after the 2016 season – when Atlanta famously lost to the New England Patriots in overtime after leading by 28-3. He was fired after an 0-5 start in 2020.
He became Washington’s pick after Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson, considered a top candidate, told teams Tuesday he was staying with Detroit and the Seahawks hired Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.
Controlling owner Josh Harris, new general manager and head of football operations Adam Peters and Quinn bring a coveted new approach to the organization after four years of Ron Rivera at the helm proved to be a disappointment. Harris was determined to split the staffing and coaching duties this time.
Just as Peters has the opportunity to hire a new coach, Quinn now has the chance to fill out his own staff in his second stint as an NFL head coach. It remains to be seen if Eric Bieniemy returns as offensive coordinator, although that is not expected, and that position on defense is vacant after Rivera fired Jack Del Rio midway through last season.
Quinn’s defense ranked fifth in the league in yards and points allowed, helping Dallas win the NFC East before losing in the wild-card round of the playoffs. He inherits the Commanders after they went 4-13, including two big losses to the Cowboys.
Washington does have the second pick in the draft, over $80 million in salary cap space and the opportunity for Peters and Quinn to pick the next quarterback for a franchise that has lacked consistency at the position for decades.
After Johnson left himself out of consideration, the Washington leader had to turn to other candidates. Macdonald going to Seattle made Quinn the front-runner, and he got the job over the likes of Detroit defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn and Baltimore assistant Anthony Weaver.
Quinn was also linked to the Seahawks, for whom he worked under Pete Carroll as a defensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014 before getting his first chance to lead a team with Atlanta.
A New Jersey native, Quinn got into coaching by running the defensive line for William & Mary in 1994 before spending a year at Virginia Military Institute and five at Hofstra. He worked on the staffs of San Francisco, the New York Jets and Seattle from 2001 to 2010, returned to college in Florida and returned to the Seahawks, where he helped them win the Super Bowl in the 2013 season.
Quinn joins an organization that hasn’t won a championship since 1992 and has only two playoff victories in the past 30 years.
Quarterback is – as usual in Washington – the biggest question, and Peters and Quinn now have a major decision to make at the most important position in football after Sam Howell bowed out as a starter in 17 games. The No. 2 pick could be an opportunity to acquire Drake Maye from North Carolina, or they could decide to explore options via trade or free agency.