The Washington Commanders will hire Dan Quinn as their next head coach, bringing in an NFL veteran who reached the Super Bowl in Atlanta and helped develop some of the league’s best defenses in Seattle and Dallas.
Quinn’s hiring was praised by those who have worked for and with him, but was far from the slam dunk new owner Josh Harris had hoped for, as many fans clamored for Detroit offensive coordinator Ben Johnson or Baltimore defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.
It’s what happens next that is most important, though. Quinn’s defensive bona fides are well established, but it’s his ties to the rest of the league that will matter as he picks an offensive coordinator who will help develop the team’s quarterback of the future.
One name to watch will be San Francisco 49ers passing game specialist Klint Kubiak, who helped Kirk Cousins excel in Minnesota. Kubiak is the son of longtime NFL coach Gary Kubiak.
Quinn will also help general manager Adam Peters as the duo makes crucial decisions about the No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft, using it to take a quarterback or trading back to stockpile picks for the future.
Those things, more than the immediate success or failure on the field of Quinn’s teams, will ultimately set the trajectory forward in Washington.
Quinn’s tenure in Washington got off to an interesting start, as he was seen by the Washington Post boarding a flight home from Reagan Airport on Tuesday morning after his interview, instead of being flown by private jet, as happens with some candidates.
At the time, Harris and the search committee were headed to Detroit to interview the Lions’ coordinators for the opening.
Now, Quinn will return, and likely in more luxurious accommodations.
He will attempt to be the latest NFL coach who found success in his second head coaching job, a group that includes Bill Belichick, Don Shula and Andy Reid.
That group does not include former coach Ron Rivera, who largely filled the Commanders franchise with people loyal to him from his time in Carolina. Quinn has invested himself in learning from his mistakes during the first go-around, and those close to him believe he is in a better spot to succeed now.
In an interesting twist, Rivera will interview for the now-vacant defensive coordinator job in Dallas, where the Cowboys enter a make-or-break year without Quinn and likely a handful of his top assistants.
Quinn, who is 53 years old, with 21 years of NFL coaching experience, is expected to be introduced in Washington in the coming days.
The Commanders were the last of the eight teams with a vacancy to hire a head coach, and the league’s hiring cycle will end without chairs for two big names — Tennessee’s Mike Vrabel and New England’s Bill Belichick.
On Thursday, the Athletic’s Dianna Russini reported that Washington had contact with Belichick, and some in the building liked him, but he ultimately did not garner widespread support.
The search committee in Washington included Harris, Peters, and consultants Bob Myers and Rick Spielman.
Quinn is expected to lead the charge as he assembles his staff, though he is not allowed to interview coaches participating in the Super Bowl until after the game.
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