Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn already has a game plan when it comes to his next opportunity to be a head coach.
Quinn downplayed the significance of any distractions he could face preparing for what’s next as Dallas drills into the regular-season finale at Washington and a chance to claim the NFC East division title with a victory over the Commanders.
In the coming days, Quinn’s name is likely to be linked to a number of job openings — including in Washington — because of his impact in turning around the Cowboys’ defense and previous record as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
“Fortunately for me in that space, any preparation you would do on that is done over the summertime. If and when that time gets called, I would certainly be ready to discuss that at a moment’s notice,” Quinn said. “It’s pretty easy these days to compartmentalize. Quite honestly, the guys that I’m able to coach are a big reason why I wanted to be back here, so I’m not gonna let that moment miss one second.”
A Week 18 win means more than a division title for Dallas. It puts the Cowboys at home for the first round of the postseason, where Dallas is 8-0 this season.
Quinn had interviews with the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts last January before announcing he’d be staying in Dallas to address “unfinished business.” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said not long after that Quinn’s loyalty would be rewarded in the form of an adjusted contract.
“I didn’t want to see anybody else coaching these guys, and there was unfinished business in my mind. That was a big reason for me knowing that I had unfinished business with them, and I wanted to see that through as much as I could. I absolutely feel that way again,” Quinn said. “It’s easy to compartmentalize when you stay here now. I live my life in that space anyway, so it’s not as complicated as you might think.”
A number of vacancies are expected in the upcoming coaching cycle. Three teams — the Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers and Las Vegas Raiders — have interim coaches in place. Quinn knows Panthers GM Scott Fitterer well from their time in the Seattle organization. The San Diego Union-Tribune reported the Spanos Family rates Quinn as a top candidate for the Chargers.
Quinn went 43-42 in five plus seasons as Atlanta coach and guided the Falcons to the Super Bowl following the 2016 season. Atlanta blew a 25-point lead in the Super Bowl and lost 34-28 in overtime to the New England Patriots.
