Dan Quinn - Pro Football Rumors

Coaching Notes: Broncos, Fangio, Jags, Lions

January 12th, 2022 at 7:47pm CST by Sam Robinson

Ten candidates have emerged in the Broncos‘ coaching search. Despite the team going back-to-back with defensive coaches, Dan Quinn is believed to be one of the early frontrunners, per ESPN.com’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler (ESPN+ link). Despite being fired early in the 2020 season, the ex-Falcons HC has become a hot name in the 2022 interview cycle. The interest in Quinn puts him in position to be picky, as the current Cowboys DC has raised his stock after turning around the NFC East champions’ defense this season. He has yet to interview for the Broncos job yet. Quinn and Denver GM George Paton worked together in Miami under Nick Saban from 2005-06. Quinn, 51, was the Dolphins’ defensive line coach in those seasons. The Broncos have also done extensive work on Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett, Fowler adds. Both Hackett and Green Bay QBs coach Luke Getsy are on Denver’s HC interview list.

Here is the latest from the coaching ranks:

Bill O’Brien interestingly finds himself in the mix for NFL jobs on two tiers, with the Panthers eyeing him as an offensive coordinator and the Jaguars are set to interview him for their head coach job. O’Brien’s ignominious Texans exit notwithstanding, he has become a candidate to watch for the Jacksonville job, Fowler notes. O’Brien just finished his first season as Alabama’s OC.
Should O’Brien land the Jags gig, Vic Fangio will be a DC target, per Fowler. Given Fangio’s history of DC success, and the Broncos sporting an above-average unit during his tenure despite major injuries to Von Miller and Bradley Chubb, the recently fired coach will likely have a few options. The Jags are prepared to be patient this time around, with Sports Talk 790’s Aaron Wilson noting this process could last for an additional two weeks (Twitter link). Second interviews are expected here. The Jaguars being thorough should not surprise, given their rash decision to hire Urban Meyer last January.
The Lions are considering hiring their next OC from within. After parting ways with one-and-done Anthony Lynn, Detroit is examining tight ends coach Ben Johnson for that role, Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press notes. Dan Campbell took over play-calling duties from Lynn midseason, but Johnson’s responsibilities expanded as well. Johnson joined the Lions as a quality control coach in 2019. GM Brad Holmes is also leaving the door open to Campbell remaining the team’s play-caller.
Seahawks assistant head coach Clint Hurtt is on the University of Miami’s radar, with Fowler tweeting the Hurricanes are eyeing him for their defensive coordinator job. A Miami alum, Hurtt has spent the past five years as Pete Carroll’s defensive line coach.
Joe Judge‘s Giants staff will likely splinter soon. One of Big Blue’s position coaches, D-line coach Sean Spencer, will land on his feet. Duke is hiring Spencer to be a co-defensive coordinator, USA Today’s Josina Anderson tweets. Spencer was set to leave regardless of Judge’s status. Spencer’s pre-Giants coaching resume unfolded entirely at the college level. The 51-year-old assistant spent six years at Penn State prior to his short Giants stay under Judge.
Second-year Browns assistant Jeremy Garrett is expected to leave Cleveland and become the Liberty D-line coach, The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman tweets.

Dolphins Request Interviews With Dan Quinn, Mike McDaniel

January 11th, 2022 at 3:39pm CST by Sam Robinson

After surprisingly firing Brian Flores, the Dolphins continue to put in early work on his replacement. They sent interview requests to Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn and 49ers offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter links).

Quinn has become a consistent presence early in the request process. The Broncos and Bears have requested permission to meet with the first-year Cowboys DC. The Jaguars also submitted a request to interview Quinn virtually, attempting to take advantage of the NFL’s new early window, but the ex-Falcons leader declined to do a virtual meeting during the regular season. Nevertheless, he is a popular name thus far.

The 49ers saw the Jets poach one of Kyle Shanahan‘s right-hand men on offense last year, when Mike LaFleur became Robert Saleh‘s OC. McDaniel has been a Shanahan staffer for years, following him from Atlanta to San Francisco. The first-year 49ers OC doubles as the team’s run-game coordinator. Despite Raheem Mostert going down in Week 1 and Elijah Mitchell missing time with multiple injuries, the 49ers finished as a top-10 rushing attack.

This marks McDaniel’s first HC connection this year, but the Dolphins were interested in him a year ago. Miami had the San Francisco assistant on its OC radar last year, but Flores opted to go with an Eric Studesville–George Godsey co-OC setup. The Quinn and McDaniel summons follow the Dolphins’ Brian Daboll request, one the team submitted hours after firing Flores.

Latest Bears’ Head Coach Interview Requests

January 11th, 2022 at 3:01pm CST by Adam La Rose

The second wave of interview requests has begun for the teams who let go of coaches and executives yesterday. The busiest of those teams, so far, is the Chicago Bears. In addition to the requests they made on Monday after firing Matt Nagy, another seven interviews have been scheduled for the Head Coaching vacancy.

Just as the Bears are interested in both Bills’ coordinators, they have requested to interview both Buccaneers’ coordinators, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link). OC Byron Leftwich has held his title since 2019, where he reunited with HC Bruce Arians. Leftwich was in charge of the Super-Bowl winning Bucs offense last season, and has helped the unit put up the second most points per game (30.1) in the league in 2021. DC Todd Bowles also reunited with Arians in 2019 in Tampa Bay, and played a crucial role in the Bucs’ smothering defensive performance in that Super Bowl victory.

Per NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (via Twitter), another request was made to Colts DC Matt Eberflus, who has also been named as an interviewee with the Jaguars. After an impressive stint as the Cowboys’ linebackers coach from 2011-2017, Eberflus took the defensive coordinator position in Indy in 2018, and immediately helped turn that unit around.

Next on the list is Cowboys DC Dan Quinn (Twitter link via Pelissero). Quinn has since been linked with all four current Head Coaching vacancies, making him the most sought-after candidate so far. His work with Dallas’ defense in just one season – seventh in the league in points allowed per game, first in interceptions, to name a few statistics – has put him in line to get another HC gig one year after being fired by the Falcons.

Per Pelissero’s colleague Ian Rapoport, Doug Pederson will also be interviewed (Twitter link). Pederson was fired by the Eagles exactly one year ago, and has also been linked with multiple teams. The 2017 Super Bowl winner, like Quinn, seems to have a good chance at rejoining the Head Coaching ranks during this hiring cycle.

Another popular name is Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett, whom the Bears will interview on Friday or Saturday, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer (Twitter link). Breer notes that Hackett has also received requests from the Broncos and Jaguars, as the 42-year-old has overseen one of the league’s best offenses in Green Bay for the past two seasons.

Last, but certainly not least, recently fired Brian Flores has been added to the list of interviewees, according to Pelissero (Twitter link). After three seasons – including the last two with winning records – in Miami, Flores was let go in what has been the most surprising move of the coaching cycle so far. The Bears are not expected to be the only team interviewing the 40-year-old, though nothing has officially been lined up with any other clubs yet.

Broncos Request Permission To Interview Eric Bieniemy, Dan Quinn, Others

January 10th, 2022 at 8:55pm CST by Ben Levine

Let’s add five more names to the Broncos HC search. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Denver requested permission to interview Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn (Twitter link) and Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy (Twitter link) for their head coaching vacancy. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that the Broncos also requested permission to interview Patriots linebackers coach Jerod Mayo (Twitter link) and Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett (Twitter link). Finally, Mike Klis of 9News in Denver reports (via Twitter) that the Broncos requested permission to interview Cowboys offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.

Hackett will interview Saturday, according to Mike Klis of 9News (on Twitter). Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn, one of the 10 candidates linked to this job already, will begin the interview run by meeting with the team Thursday.

After being out of the game for much of last season, with the Falcons firing him after a bad start, Quinn has moved himself back onto the head-coaching radar. The Cowboys’ defense has improved significantly in his first season overseeing the unit. He figures to generate interest from other teams once more vacancies emerge. Quinn previously refused an interview with the Jaguars until after the season.

Bieniemy has been with the Chiefs since Andy Reid’s 2013 Kansas City arrival. Thought to be a slam-dunk hire in both the 2020 and ’21 offseasons, the 52-year-old assistant has failed to land a head coaching job. Taking over as Kansas City’s OC from Matt Nagy, who followed Doug Pederson in being hired for an HC post, Bieniemy has been in this role throughout Patrick Mahomes‘ dominant run as the Chiefs’ starting quarterback.

Mayo had a standout career with the Patriots, with the former 10th-overall pick earning two Pro Bowl nods and a Super Bowl ring during his eight seasons in New England. Mayo rejoined the organization as their linebackers coach in 2019. While New England is currently operating without a true defensive coordinator, Mayo (along with Steve Belichick) is assumed to be atop the defensive coaching depth chart.

Hackett served as the Jaguars offensive coordinator between 2016 and 2018, including a 2017 campaign where the Jaguars offense ranked toward the top of the NFL in a number of categories. The veteran coach was canned midway through the 2018 season, and he’s spent the past three years serving as Green Bay’s OC. The Packers offense had a standout season in 2020, and while the team finished 2021 with the best record in the league, both the passing game and the running game have taken a step back this year.

Moore inked a three-year extension with the Cowboys towards the close of the 2020 season, but he’s remained a hot name in coaching circles. The rival Eagles requested an interview with him in January of 2021 before ultimately going with Nick Sirianni.

Broncos Fire HC Vic Fangio, Will Not Retain OC Pat Shurmur

January 9th, 2022 at 9:29am CST by Rory Parks

The Broncos have fired head coach Vic Fangio, per Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL.com (Twitter link). Fangio lasted three seasons in his post but failed to get his club to the playoffs in that time, so GM George Paton felt compelled to make a move. Mike Klis of 9News.com reports (via Twitter) that the team will also part ways with OC Pat Shurmur.

Denver lost its 2021 finale to the Chiefs last night, and in his postgame presser, Fangio lamented the fact that the other three clubs in the AFC West boast a top-flight quarterback, something the Broncos did not have during his tenure. Denver did select Drew Lock in the second round of the 2019 draft, Fangio’s first as a head coach, and while Lock presently looks like another QB misstep in the John Elway-as-GM era, the inability of Fangio and his staff to develop the Missouri passer certainly contributed to Fangio’s demise.

Offensive ineptitude was, unfortunately, a hallmark of the Fangio regime. As Ryan O’Halloran of the Denver Post observes, the Broncos failed to score 20 points in a game 29 times in Fangio’s 49 games as head coach, and after a bottom-five showing in terms of both total offense and points per game in 2019, Fangio fired then-OC Rich Scangarello and replaced him with Shurmur, who had just been axed as head coach of the Giants.

The Broncos’ offensive output marginally improved during Shurmur’s time as OC, but it was simply not enough for either him or Fangio to keep their jobs (Shurmur’s contract was reportedly for two years, so Denver will simply let his deal expire). Fangio’s refusal to pull play-calling duties from Shurmur caused some locker room tension earlier this year, and while Shurmur was a hot offensive coordinator candidate before he accepted the post with the Broncos, his stock has likely dropped quite a bit.

Fangio, though, should land on his feet. We previously heard that the acclaimed defensive mind, who has served as DC of the Panthers, Colts, Texans, 49ers, and Bears, would be in high demand for a defensive coordinator position if he were to be fired by the Broncos, so he can probably expect a few interview requests in short order. The Broncos finished the 2021 campaign with a top-three defense in terms of points allowed per game.

Paton will have full authority to select the next head coach, as team president/CEO Joe Ellis confirmed in a statement. Paton’s reputation, along with the Broncos’ history and a roster that appears to be just a quarterback away from legitimate contention — something that Paton will try to rectify this offseason — should allow the club to attract any number of top-tier candidates. Albert Breer of SI.com identifies Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett and Cowboys DC Dan Quinn as possible targets, and Quinn and Paton do have a history that dates back to their days with the Dolphins in 2005.

However, Paton may elect to move forward with an offensive-minded candidate, which could give the edge to Hackett or someone like Buccaneers OC Byron Leftwich. Though the Broncos could be sold as soon as the spring (per Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports), the imminent prospect of new ownership is not likely to deter candidates for the HC job.

Fangio’s statement on his dismissal can be found here, and Paton’s can be found here.

Cowboys’ Dan Quinn Will Not Take Early Interview With Jaguars

December 29th, 2021 at 12:55pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Jaguars are getting the jump on the rest of league, capitalizing on their HC vacancy to be the only team able to interview candidates early. However, one of the team’s hopeful interviewees will not take part in the process.

Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will not interview with the Jaguars during this newly created early two-week window, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com tweets. This does not necessarily mean Quinn is removing himself from consideration for the Jacksonville job, with Tom Pelissero of NFL.com noting the Dallas DC indeed has not ruled himself out of contention (Twitter link). The veteran defensive coach wants to wait on HC interviews until after the regular season ends. But Quinn waiting would stand to be leave him behind in a pursuit of this position.

Jags interview requests went out to Quinn, Cowboys OC Kellen Moore, Buccaneers coordinators Byron Leftwich and Todd Bowles, Colts DC Matt Eberflus, Packers OC Nathaniel Hackett and former Eagles HC Doug Pederson. After taking a season off, Pederson will be the first candidate to interview with the Jaguars. The former Super Bowl-winning coach will do his Jags session Thursday, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

After being out of the game for much of last season, with the Falcons firing him after a bad start, Quinn has moved himself back onto the head-coaching radar. The Cowboys’ defense has improved significantly in his first season overseeing the unit. He figures to generate interest from other teams once more vacancies emerge.

The NFL recently greenlit what amounts to a one-year trial run with this early interview process, which runs through the end of the regular season. Consisting entirely of virtual meetings, this process is only approved for this year.

Jaguars Request Interviews With Todd Bowles, Byron Leftwich

December 28th, 2021 at 12:59pm CST by Zachary Links

The Jaguars have asked the Buccaneers for permission to interview offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles for their head coaching vacancy (Twitter links via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times and Adam Schefter of ESPN.com). In addition to the Tampa duo, they’ve also requested an interview with Cowboys OC Kellen Moore and DC Dan Quinn (Twitter link via Adam Schefter of ESPN.com) and scheduled a meeting with ex-Eagles HC Doug Pederson for later this week (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero).

All five coaches have been connected to the Jaguars in recent weeks, with Pederson said to be especially interested in the job. Pederson, of course, had Carson Wentz playing at an MVP level through the first 14 weeks of the 2017 season, up until his fateful ACL tear. Then, with backup QB Nick Foles under center, he guided the Birds to their first ever Super Bowl ring. Pederson’s final Philadelphia season ended with a 4-11-1 mark, but he remains an attractive candidate nonetheless.

Bucs head coach Bruce Arians, meanwhile, would happily advocate for either one of his coordinators to get the job. He’s been especially supportive of Leftwich, who did not receive an HC interview in the last cycle.

“The job he’s done…he coaches quarterbacks, he calls plays, he’s everything everybody says they are looking for,” Arians said in January (via Jon Ledyard of Pewter Report). “I was really hoping he’d get his first few interviews and maybe get a job out of it. I can’t speak for what the owners think and who they listen to sometimes, but it’s just a matter of time before he gets his.”

LB K.J. Wright Interested In Playing For Cowboys

March 27th, 2021 at 9:07am CST by Ben Levine

It’s been relatively quiet on the K.J. Wright front, but that could be because the free agent linebacker is eyeing one particular team. The veteran told Mike Fisher of Sports Illustrated that he wants to play for the Cowboys.

“Dallas has certainly always been on my list of ‘dream teams,”’ Wright said. “With coach Dan Quinn there, and with other aspects of that team and that defense, I do think it’s one of the teams I fit in with.”

The connection makes sense. As Wright pointed out, new Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn held the same role in Seattle in 2013 and 2014, with Wright starting 29 games for the Seahawks during that span. Further, Dallas could use some reinforcement at linebacker. Sean Lee has missed 16 games over the past three years, and Leighton Vander Esch was limited to only 10 games in 2020.

Even though Wright will be 32 years old by the start of the 2021 campaign, he’d still provide Dallas with a reliable and consistent option at the position. Wright graded as Pro Football Focus’ No. 8 overall off-ball linebacker last season; he was the only player to post double-digit totals in tackles for loss (11) and passes defensed (10). He has started 140 of the 144 career games he has played since the Seahawks drafted him in the 2011 fourth round.

Back in February, the veteran linebacker revealed that he wouldn’t be taking a discount to stick around Seattle, but it’s uncertain if that sentiment would apply to the Cowboys.

“I do way too much on the football field to take a discount,” Wright said. “It makes absolutely no sense. If you want to win all these championships and look good on Sundays, you’ve got to compensate your guys that are making plays.”

Cowboys To Hire Dan Quinn As DC

January 11th, 2021 at 5:42pm CST by Ben Levine

The Cowboys have found their new defensive coordinator. NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero reports (via Twitter) that Dallas has agreed to a deal with former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn. Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reports (via Twitter) that it’s a three-year deal for the 50-year-old.

Quinn made a name for himself when he served as the Seahawks defensive coordinator in 2013 and 2014. He played a major role during the ‘Legion of Boom’ era, making a pair of Super Bowl appearances (winning one). He was hired as Falcons head coach in 2015, and he collected 29 wins during his first three years at the helm, including an NFC-winning campaign in 2016. He didn’t finish above. 500 during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, and he was let go by Atlanta following an 0-5 start to the 2020 campaign.

Since his firing, there have been rumblings that Quinn should be a popular name for defensive coordinator openings. There were whispers that he could head back to Seattle to help the Seahawks’ struggling defense, and there was speculation he could head to the 49ers if Robert Saleh gets a head coaching job.

Instead, he’ll be heading to Dallas on Mike McCarthy‘s staff. Following a disappointing 2020 campaign where the defense ranked 28th in scoring, the Cowboys let go of defensive coordinator Mike Nolan last week. We learned of Dallas’s interest in Quinn earlier today, with Falcons secondary coach Joe Whitt and Panthers defensive passing game coordinator Jason Simmons also mentioned as candidates for the vacancy.

Cowboys Meet With Dan Quinn

January 11th, 2021 at 8:50am CST by Zachary Links

Dan Quinn interviewed for the Cowboys defensive coordinator job over the weekend, as Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Quinn is the third known candidate to discuss the job with Dallas, following Falcons secondary coach Joe Whitt and Panthers defensive passing game coordinator Jason Simmons.

[RELATED: Cowboys Fire Mike Nolan]

The Falcons fired Quinn after his team’s 0-5 start, but he’s been building momentum lately as a DC candidate. Quinn, of course, led the Falcons to the Super Bowl just a few years ago. Before that, he made his name as the Seahawks’ defensive coordinator during the ‘Legion of Boom’ era. Winning Super Bowl XLVIII with the Seahawks was the highlight of his career. His Falcons defenses, on the other hand, didn’t impress.

The Cowboys fired Mike Nolan last week, but head coach Mike McCarthy is staying put. If McCarthy wants to go back to a 4-3 base, Quinn would be a sensible choice.

The Cowboys could certainly use a fresh look. Last year, their D ranked 28th in scoring, 23rd in DVOA, and 31st against the run. In total, they surrendered 473 points — the highest total in the franchise’s 61-year history.