Dan Quinn - Pro Football Rumors

NFC Coaching Notes: Quinn, 49ers, Rams

January 10th, 2015 at 3:37pm CST by Rob DiRe

Here are some updates on open NFC coaching positions:

If Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn gets a head coaching job, potential offensive coordinators he could hire include Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable or former Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, reports Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter).
Since losing offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer to the University of Georgia, the Rams have expressed interest in 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman and former Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan to fill the open position, reports Nick Wagoner of ESPN.com.
The 49ers announced that it would take seven to ten days to hire a new coach, but made the announcement on December 29th, and have yet to make significant progress, reports Paul Gutierrez of ESPN.com. Gutierrez notes that three candidates are still coaching playoff teams, and lists the eight coaches interviewed so far.
The three candidates for the 49ers job that will be coaching this weekend are Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, and Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, writes Matt Maiocco of CSNBayArea.com. If everything breaks perfectly, all three could be available by Sunday night.
Six coaching jobs have opened up this offseason and six jobs remain unfilled. Everyone may have their own theory for why it is taking so long to hire new head coaches, and Matt Miller of Bleacher Report believes it is because teams are waiting for the Seahawks‘ season to be over and for Quinn to become available (via Twitter).
As the Giants continue to search for a new defensive coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo is among leaders in the clubhouse for the job, reports Jordan Raanan of NJ.com (via Twitter). Spagnuolo was the defensive coordinator under Tom Coughlin during the team’s 2007-08 Super Bowl run.

Jets Targeting Mike Maccagnan, Dan Quinn

January 9th, 2015 at 10:58pm CST by Luke Adams

10:58pm: The Jets aren’t expected to make any hires this weekend, tweets Mehta.

7:31pm: Now that the Bears have hired Ryan Pace as their general manager, the Jets are the league’s lone team searching for both a GM and a head coach, but it appears the club has its sights set on a pair of top targets. According to Brian Costello of the New York Post, Texans director of college scouting Mike Maccagnan has emerged as the favorite for the Jets’ GM vacancy, while Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is the frontrunner for the head coaching position.

While former Bills head coach Doug Marrone was initially viewed as the top candidate to replace Rex Ryan in New York, Marrone isn’t one of the team’s preferred options at this point, a source tells Costello. Instead, Quinn, Cardinals defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, and Seahawks offensive line coach Tom Cable are the most serious contenders, having had the best interviews of New York’s candidates so far.

Quinn was busy during Seattle’s bye week, speaking to the Falcons, Bills, Bears, and 49ers as well, so the Jets will have competition for the coveted defensive coordinator. However, the team’s interest in Quinn is mutual, according to Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, who reports that the Seahawks DC has told friends that New York is his top choice.

As for Maccagnan, both Costello and Mehta indicate that the GM hopeful is meeting with Jets owner Woody Johnson and the club’s front office brass for dinner tonight. Maccagnan is the only candidate to receive a second interview with the Jets to date, and Mehta writes that Johnson, team president Neil Glat, and consultants Charley Casserly and Ron Wolf have made the Texans executive their top target.

If Maccagnan is tabbed as John Idzik‘s successor, the Jets may bring aboard a veteran contract negotiator and cap expert to complement his skill set. According to Mehta, if Quinn were to land a head coaching job, he would like his new team to add former Buccaneers GM (and current ESPN analyst) Mark Domenik to the front office — the Jets have reached out to Domenik about a possible role, per Mehta.

Although a front office hiring or two could happen soon, the Jets won’t get the chance to speak to Quinn again until the Seahawks are eliminated from the postseason or win the NFC title game. Assuming Seattle defeats the Panthers this weekend, as is expected, that means the Jets would have to wait until at least January 18 to talk to or hire the Seahawks coordinator.

Jets Links: Ryan, Shanahan, Maccagnan

January 9th, 2015 at 11:43am CST by Ben Levine

One of Rex Ryan‘s former players believes the coach can succeed elsewhere. Linebacker Bart Scott played under the head coach for four seasons, and the current CBS analyst believes Ryan could flourish in Atlanta.

“I think the Falcons are the best situation for Rex to go into,” Scott said (via ESPN.com’s Vaughn McClure). “Come on, you’re talking about fixing the defense. I’m sure people see how Matt Ryan has played. He hasn’t had the defense to get him the ball back.

“Rex Ryan is a head coach/defensive coordinator. Let Rex run the show and start dialing up plays to knock Drew Brees out. Look at his history playing against Cam Newton. Rex knows how to keep Cam in the box. And Tampa Bay? Please. That would be like Homecoming.”

Scott also suggested that Ryan could hypothetically lure some of his former players to the organization.

“I think a quick fix for that Atlanta defense is David Harris is up for free agency, and Rex has the ability to bring a guy like that over. He has the ability to bring a guy like Calvin Pace over who knows the system and lives in Atlanta.

“…But then Rex probably has the ability as well to bring a guy like Antonio Cromartie to come over opposite Desmond Trufant and slide right in and get instant experience within the defense overnight.”

Let’s check out some more notes from the Jets organization, including their hunt for a new coach and general manager…

Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News believes the Jets need an “innovative and creative offensive mind” who can develop young quarterbacks (via Twitter). The writer suggests Kyle Shanahan as an ideal playcaller for the team.
Following news that the organization would be bringing back Texans director of college scouting Mike Maccagnan for a second GM interview, Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports tweets that it wouldn’t be surprising if Maccagnan is hired this weekend.
ESPN.com’s Rich Cimini examines the candidacy of Maccagnan, stating that the Texans executive is “most comfortable in a background role.” This has led some to wonder whether he’d be able to handle the pressure in New York, but Cimini counters that Maccagnan “has the ability to work well with people and isn’t afraid to admit when he’s wrong,” an attribute that was lacking from the team’s previous general manager.
Brian Costello of the New York Post cites a source who says it would be a “travesty” if Maccagnan is not offered the position.
Many members of the Seahawks are under the mindset that defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will accept a head coaching position this offseason. His players aren’t bitter, however, and they believe their coach will succeed in any situation, including with the Jets. “I think he’d be fantastic,” Richard Sherman told Ebenezer Samuel of the New York Daily News. “Obviously, you’re not always getting a great team, so it takes some time to develop…But he’ll be fantastic.”

Coach Updates: Bills, Raiders, Jags, Quinn

January 6th, 2015 at 8:52pm CST by Luke Adams

Earlier this morning, we rounded up a handful of coaching-related updates. Plenty more items have surfaced over the course of the day, so let’s check in on the latest:

The Bills are looking to line up an interview with former Jets coach Rex Ryan, according to Vic Carucci of The Buffalo News (on Twitter).
The Bills have spoken with defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz about their head coaching vacancy, according to Tim Graham of The Buffalo News.
The Bills have a number of head coaching interviews set up for this week — Tim Graham of the Buffalo News writes that the team’s meeting with Bengals offensive coordinator Hue Jackson will happen on Wednesday, while Lions defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will speak to the club on Saturday. Additionally, a source tells Alex Marvez of FOX Sports (Twitter link) that the 49ers have given offensive coordinator Greg Roman permission to pursue the Bills’ HC job, and that interview will take place on Friday.
After speaking to several outside candidates, the Raiders will conduct their interview with interim head coach Tony Sparano tomorrow, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links).
Former Raiders head coach John Madden sat in on Oakland’s interview with Mike Shanahan in recent days, multiple sources tell Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com. Bair adds that it’s not clear how involved Madden is in the Raiders’ coaching search, but “it speaks some to the legitimacy of Shanahan” as a candidate for the job.
A pair of candidates’ names have surfaced as the Jaguars search for a new offensive coordinator. Rapoport tweets that Jacksonville has asked to speak to Vikings running back coach Kirby Wilson, and Ryan O’Halloran of the Florida Times-Union (Twitter link) says Roman will also interview for the position.
Preparing for the possibility that offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan leaves Cleveland this winter, the Browns have “reached out to guys like Charlie Weis,” tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com.
A longtime NFL executive who has been involved in many interviews for coaches tells Peter King of TheMMQB.com (Twitter link) that Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is “the most impressive candidate” he has seen.

Reactions To Dolphins Shakeup

January 6th, 2015 at 7:10pm CST by Zachary Links

Earlier today, we learned that former Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum will join the Dolphins’ front office full-time. Tannenbaum, who has been working as a sports agent in recent years, served as a consultant for Miami during the 2014 season. Now, he takes on a much more significant role. Here’s more on that and related news out of Miami..

Tannenbaum made a point to praise GM Dennis Hickey and coach Joe Philbin on multiple occasions in a conference call with reporters earlier today, according to James Walker of ESPN.com. Still, it’s no secret that this upcoming season is playoffs-or-bust for Hickey and Philbin or significant changes could be made, Walker writes.
“I don’t think we’re far away,” Tannenbaum said, according to Walker. “I think it’s really critical that we have our self-evaluation of where the roster is. I think it starts with that. … We have to attack our needs aggressively.”
The Dolphins (on Twitter) announced that Hickey will report directly to Tannenbaum and continue to lead the personnel and scouting departments. He’ll also maintain control of the 53-man roster.
Beasley (on Twitter) wonders what will happen if Philbin and Hickey want Mike Wallace out but Tannenbaum wants him back in 2015.
Tannenbaum says he will not be involved in the negotiations of his coaching candidate clients, tweets Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald. That would include Dan Quinn.
The Dolphins’ hiring of Tannenbaum to head the team’s football operations is a move that “creates more questions than it offers answers,” writes Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald.
In another piece, Walker wonders if the Dolphins truly believe in Hickey.
A Dolphins official spoke with Ben Volin of The Boston Globe (on Twitter) and said,”I’m surprised you were surprised. No one around the team is surprised one bit.“

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Front Office Notes: Jets, Saints, Bears

January 5th, 2015 at 9:55am CST by Luke Adams

As the first full week of 2015 gets underway, we have updates on two teams hunting for a new general manager, as well as a pair of clubs whose front offices may be undergoing some changes. Here’s the latest:

Although the Jets would like to speak to Saints executive Ryan Pace about their general manager position, it’s unlikely that Pace will elect to interview for the opening, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). As Rapoport explains (Twitter link), Pace – a favorite of Sean Payton – assumed more day-to-day duties with the Saints in 2014 as GM Mickey Loomis worked more with the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans. Rapoport adds that Pace’s role will only increase, and that he could be in line for a promotion.
A source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk that Loomis “remains entrenched” as the Saints‘ GM, with no need to elevate anyone in the front office to handle any of his duties. However, Florio agrees that it appears as if Pace will stay put in New Orleans for now.
Texans director of scouting Mike Maccagnan will have his interview with the Jets for their GM vacancy today, tweets Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News.
Speaking to one veteran front office executive who called the head coach/GM marriage “the most underrated dynamic in the business,” Mehta writes in a Daily News piece that the Jets should ensure they create an equal partnership when they hire a new coach and GM.
Within the same piece, Mehta reports, via sources, that Seahawks personnel executive Trent Kirchner likely won’t be paired with Dan Quinn as a GM/head coach duo, since Quinn’s preference would be to work with a “more seasoned” front office executive.
The Bears will interview Titans executive Lake Dawson on Tuesday and Chiefs exec Chris Ballard on Wednesday this week, says Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Washington has reached out to personnel man Scot McCloughan about becoming a top executive in the team’s front office, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter). McCloughan, a former 49ers general manager, most recently worked for the Seahawks.

Coach Updates: Bowles, Bears, Jets, Marrone

January 3rd, 2015 at 8:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cardinals suffered an ugly loss in today’s Wild Card game against the Panthers, totaling just 78 offensive yards, a record low for a playoff contest. However, while Ryan Lindley and the offense struggled, Todd Bowles‘ defensive unit held its own, and now that Arizona’s season is over, Bowles will be free to interview for head coaching openings. As our head coaching search tracker shows, every team except the Bills has reportedly requested permission to interview Bowles, so he could be a busy man over the next few days — Scott Bair of CSNBayArea.com tweets that the Cards DC is expected to interview with the Raiders next week.

Here are a few more coaching-related updates on a Saturday night:

The Bears confirmed today (via Twitter) that they’ve interviewed Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase for their head coaching position. However, the club has no interest in Rex Ryan, a source tells Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
After meeting with the Jets this weekend, Doug Marrone is scheduled to interview with the Falcons on Monday, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
Speaking of Marrone, Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News has a column packed with feedback from Bills sources on the team’s former head coach, and it doesn’t paint a flattering picture. Mehta’s sources call Marrone a “control freak,” a “very dangerous person to have in the building,” and “the definition of average,” suggesting that the ex-Bills head coach didn’t get along with a number of players and others within the organization. Based on that assessment, Mehta thinks the Jets can do better with their head coaching hire.
It shouldn’t be a problem for the Jets if the team ends up hiring a head coach before landing a general manager, writes Bob Glauber of Newsday.
Mark Maske of the Washington Post tweets a reminder that the league’s Rooney Role doesn’t apply to assistant coaching jobs. Despite the fact that the Fritz Pollard Alliance asked for that two years ago, the NFL turned down the request, and there has been no renewed push for it recently, says Maske.

NFC West Notes: Shanahan, Quinn, Cardinals

January 3rd, 2015 at 3:54pm CST by Rob DiRe

While the 49ers have interviewed former Washington and Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan, the Niners’ main focus is deciding whether they’re better off going with a big hire like Shanahan, or if they can take the time to develop a young coach such as Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase or Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, writes Jason Cole of Bleacher Report (via Twitter).

49ers‘ CEO Jed York did say Shanahan was high on his list of candidates, writes Cole (via Twitter).
Cam Inman of the Bay Area News Group responded to Cole’s tweet by noting that York stated he wants the next coach to be with the team for 10 years (via Twitter). Shanahan is already 62 years old.
Pro Football Talk adds that Shanahan would be much easier to deal with than Harbaugh was, which is a big plus after the most recent coaching situation (via Twitter).
Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has drawn strong interest as a head coaching candidate, but his top choice for general manager and partner was Vikings assistant GM George Paton, writes Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. Unfortunately, Paton decided not to interview with the Jets or Bears, and will remain with the Vikings.
The Cardinals are currently playing the Panthers in the Wild Card round, and star receiver Larry Fitzgerald could be in his final game with the team, writes Kevin Patra of NFL.com. Patra notes that colleague Ian Rapoport reported the team is expected to ask Fitzgerald to take a pay cut after the season, but no official decision has been made.
Cardinals nose tackle Dan Williams could draw interest in free agency this offseason, writes Rich Tandler of CSNWashington.com. Williams could be set up for a contract in the range of $6MM per year, and the team’s cap situation might make it difficult to keep.

Latest On Bills’ Head Coaching Search

January 2nd, 2015 at 8:49pm CST by Luke Adams

The Bills, after seeing head coach Doug Marrone opt out of his contract on New Year’s Eve, officially kicked off their search for a new head coach yesterday by requesting permission to interview Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase. As Buffalo looks to play catch-up to the five other teams looking to fill head coaching vacancies, we’ll track all of today’s updates on the club’s coaching hunt right here. The latest:

It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Bills set up an interview with Mike Shanahan, since “there is some interest” there, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com. Based on La Canfora’s wording, it’s not clear if it’s the Bills or Shanahan with the interest, but I’d guess it’s probably coming from the team.
The Bills have now scheduled interviews with Bevell and Quinn, according to Graham (Twitter link).
As we noted in this evening’s round-up of coaching rumors, the Bills weren’t able to line up an interview with McDaniels this weekend, according to Peter King of TheMMQB.com.

Earlier updates:

The Bills have requested interviews with Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, and Quinn, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (on Twitter).
As hoped, the Bills’ interview with Reich will go down on Sunday in San Diego, according to Dan Graziano of ESPN.com (via Twitter).
According to Graham (Twitter links), Terry Pegula and Kim Pegula will sit in on the Bills’ head coach interviews, which will be conducted by Whaley and Brandon. Graham notes that the next Buffalo head coach will report directly to Terry Pegula, who – according to Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) – would still like to hire a football czar to “oversee the building.”
The Bills are trying to arrange an interview with Reich for Sunday in San Diego, before he leaves to interview with the Jets, tweets Graham. According to Graham (via Twitter), even though Reich was viewed as a Bill Polian favorite, and Polian is no longer ticketed for Buffalo, mutual interest between the Chargers’ offensive coordinator and the Bills remains high.
General manager Doug Whaley is leading the Bills’ coaching search, and Gase will be the first candidate to interview on Saturday, according to Tim Graham of the Buffalo News (via Twitter). Graham adds that the club will also speak to offensive coordinator Frank Reich, as expected, while John Wawrow of The Associated Press tweets that Bills CEO Russ Brandon will serve as an advisor to Whaley during the process.
According to Graham (via Twitter), the Bills also have interest in talking to Rex Ryan about their head coaching opening, but nothing has been scheduled at the moment.
Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and current Bills defensive coordinator Jim Schwartz are two names to keep an eye on for potential interviews with the team, tweets Joe Buscaglia of WGR550. We’ve previously heard Schwartz mentioned as a possible candidate, and Quinn is no surprise either, considering he’s already been linked to several teams with head coaching vacancies.
Speaking of Schwartz, Bills defensive players are pushing for the defensive coordinator to remain in Buffalo, writes Jay Skurski of the Buffalo News. Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk suggests promoting Schwartz to head coach could provide much-needed stability and continuity for the club.
John Kryk of the Toronto Sun (all Twitter links) thinks the Bills shouldn’t hire a head coach until they install a new football czar, since it seems clear that the Pegulas want to hire one. If they do hire one, that new czar can decide whether or not to keep Whaley, and if they don’t hire one, they should announce they aren’t looking, and promote Whaley to VP of football operations.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Coach Updates: Cowher, Quinn, Jets, Raiders

January 2nd, 2015 at 6:50pm CST by Luke Adams

Shortly after Doug Marrone opted out of his contract with the Bills, former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher was mentioned as a potential target for Buffalo, but appearing today on SiriusXM NFL Radio, Cowher took himself out of the running for the Bills’ job or any other head coaching openings.

“I’m in a really good place. I really enjoy my job at CBS,” Cowher said. “You’re not going to see me on the sidelines. I enjoy it, you miss it, but not enough to get back.”

Here are a few more coaching-related tidbits that have trickled in since our last round-up:

Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has a jam-packed schedule today and tomorrow, according to Adam Schefter (Twitter link). Schefter reports that Quinn interviewed for the Jets‘ head coaching job this morning, and will speak to the Bears tonight, the Falcons tomorrow morning, and the Bills tomorrow night.
In addition to interviewing Quinn, the Jets also completed their interview with Seahawks assistant Tom Cable today, tweets Rich Cimini of ESPNNewYork.com.
Eagles offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur interviewed with the Raiders today, per Ben Volin of the Boston Globe (via Twitter). Shurmur is the second candidate to interview with the club, following Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell.
While the 49ers and Falcons were able to schedule interviews with Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels within this week’s allotted window, the Bills were not, says Peter King of TheMMQB.com (via Twitter). That doesn’t mean Buffalo couldn’t try to speak to McDaniels later on, but the team may not want to wait.
A pair of potential candidates cited early in the process for the two Bay Area teams have yet to set up interviews — Bill Williamson of ESPN.com tweets that the Raiders haven’t requested permission to speak to Broncos defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio yet, while Eric Branch of the San Francisco Chronicle says (via Twitter) that the 49ers have yet to set anything up with Browns offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan.
The Buccaneers interviewed current 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman for Tampa Bay’s OC position today, reports Alex Marvez of FOX Sports.
Jason La Canfora of CBSSports.com (Twitter link) hears that Vic Fangio‘s interview for the 49ers‘ head coaching position lasted more than six hours and was “very impressive.”
Michael C. Wright and Jeff Dickerson of ESPN.com have the details on the coaching recommendations made by the NFL’s Career Development Advisory Panel.