DALLAS (105.3 The Fan) - Former Falcons head coach Dan Quinn is 'the favorite' for the Cowboys defensive coordinator vacancy, ESPN's Todd Archer reports.
Archer reports that Quinn will fly to North Texas to interview for the position, while the other candidates the Cowboys spoke with, Joe Whitt Jr. and Jason Simmons, had virtual visits with the team over the weekend.
ESPN's report comes after Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Monday morning that Dallas had interviewed Quinn virtually on Saturday.
Rapoport later followed up his initial report by saying that the Cowboys were flying Quinn in after spending several hours visiting with him over Zoom "and a deal could come today," according to his source.
Quinn's name came to the forefront of potential candidates shortly after the Cowboys fired Mike Nolan on Friday after just one year as the team's defensive coordinator.
Quinn was one of three names 105.3 The Fan's Jeff Cavanaugh mentioned on-air after Nolan's firing was announced. And Bryan Broaddus heard from multiple sources that Quinn would be a great hire.
"I did get a really favorable report on Dan Quinn, as far as a teacher, as far as a guy players all respect, (and) gravitate towards. So, if Quinn is one of the guys they talk to, I had three different guys tell me he'd be a really good hire," Bryan Broaddus said Friday on 105.3 The Fan.
The Fan's Mike Fisher reported Monday that there are some in the organization that 'hope' Quinn gets the job and that McCarthy is being urged to replaced his secondary coaches. Which could be why the Cowboys interviewed Whitt Jr., who was the secondary coach in Atlanta, and Simmons, who holds the same job with the Panthers.
Under his watch, the Falcons' lead-blowing ways became part of the team's identity, stemming from their 28-3 lead against the Patriots in Super Bowl LI. In the first five weeks this season, Atlanta blew a 20-point lead (vs Dallas) and a 16-point lead.
Quinn's tenure in Atlanta ended with a 43-42 record in the regular season with postseason berths in 2016 and 2017. However, the Falcons didn't have a winning record since 2017.
Prior to his time in Atlanta, Quinn was the defensive coordinator for the Super Bowl-winning Seattle Seahawks in 2013. His unit led the league in fewest points allowed, fewest yards allowed, and takeaways that year.