The final head coaching vacancy in the NFL is filled, and has opened a coordinator spot: as confirmed by our own Grant Paulsen and JP Finlay Thursday morning, Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has accepted the head coaching job with the Washington Commanders.
During his three years in Dallas, Quinn helped turn the Cowboys' defense into one of the best in the NFL, playing a major role in the team's 12-5 record in each of the last three seasons. He also was the architect of Seattle's famed Legion of Boom defense, serving two stints as a Seahawks assistant, as AHC/defensive line coach in 2009-10 and defensive coordinator in 2013-14 - years in which Seattle went to two Super Bowls and won one.
Quinn, 53, was previously a head coach in Atlanta, going 43-42 from 2015-20. His Falcons won the NFC South in 2016 and advanced to Super Bowl LI behind MVP Matt Ryan, but lost to New England in the infamous '28-3' game.
Quinn was quickly a subject of interest at the beginning of the offseason, with the Tennessee Titans, L.A. Chargers, Carolina Panthers, Seahawks and Commanders all requesting interviews with him early in the process.
However, after the Titans, Seahawks, Chargers and Panthers jobs were filled, it was ultimately the Commanders who won out the battle for Quinn's services.
Quinn will now head from one NFC East rival to another, replacing Ron Rivera and ending a search that lasted 24 days following Rivera's Jan. 8 firing, and saw many upset that the Commanders were both the last team to fill their vacancy and seemingly lost out on Ben Johnson (staying in Detroit) and Ravens DC Mike Macdonald (hired by Seattle Wednesday).
And, ironically, per Ian Rapaport, Rivera now becomes a top candidate to replace Quinn as Dallas' DC.