Dan Quinn agrees to a deal to lead the Commanders as head coach.
Dan Quinn has agreed to terms to join the Washington Commanders as their coach. The last NFL team to name a head coach is selecting a guy who has served in the position before.
After verbally agreeing to hire Quinn earlier in the week, the team made the announcement on Saturday. The last three seasons, the former head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, who led the team to a Super Bowl trip, served as the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys.
Controlling owner Josh Harris said in a statement, “Dan has rightfully earned a reputation as one of the NFL’s top defensive minds, building tough, explosive and dynamic teams that compete hard.” “But most importantly, he is an incredible leader who brings out the best in his players, coaches and staff.”
Quinn was selected by Washington following the announcement by Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson that he would remain in Detroit, and after Seattle recruited Baltimore assistant Mike Macdonald. After Quinn was sacked in 2020, Raheem Morris left the team and went back to Atlanta as interim coach. Quinn was the only candidate the Commanders gave serious consideration that wouldn’t have been a first-time head coach in the league.
Adam Peters, the new general manager, stated that he has long regarded Quinn as a wonderful coach and man.
“The way his teams play, and the way the people who I respect most in this league revere him as a leader and a man, gave me conviction that he was the right person for the job,” Peters stated. “His ability to connect with not only his players but all layers of every organization he has been in is a rare trait and something that strongly resonated with us.”
Quinn, 53, is also a lot older than the other candidates for the position. In the end, the Commanders concluded that experience mattered for a roster that was subject to complete overhaul.
Quinn stated, “The organization has an outstanding vision, and I’m honored to be a part of what’s next.” Quinn, together with Peters and Harris’ ownership group, “cannot wait to help usher in a new era” of Washington football.
In a press statement issued by the Commanders, Quinn expressed gratitude to Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, CEO Stephen Jones, and coach Mike McCarthy, stating that the team’s players and staff quickly felt like family. He will now take over the Commanders, an NFC East foe, who finished with a 4-13 record and the second
Quinn remarked, “We have a great task ahead of us.” “But the ownership group, Adam, and I are lockstep in putting in the work to achieve our goal: consistently competing for Super Bowls year in and year out.”
One of the contenders for the same position on Quinn’s staff with Washington is Kliff Kingsbury, who withdrew from consideration for the offensive coordinator position with the Las Vegas Raiders.
