Commanders hiring Dan Quinn as head coach: Former Cowboys defensive coordinator remaining in NFC East

After much ado, the Washington Commanders have found their new head coach, on Thursday reaching a verbal agreement with Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, as CBS Sports lead NFL insider Jonathan Jones reports.

Washington had targeted several up-and-coming coaches in its search to replace Ron Rivera, who was dismissed following the 2023 season, with assistants like Ben Johnson and Bobby Slowik drawing interviews. The team also hosted longtime New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick for an interview, per The Athletic, and several key decision-makers endorsed his potential addition. In the end, new Commanders brass opted for Quinn, 53, who spent the last three seasons running Dallas’ defense.

Quinn previously served as the Atlanta Falcons head coach from 2015-2020, going 43-42 and notably helping the team advance to Super Bowl LI, where the Falcons infamously lost a 28-3 lead to fall to the New England Patriots. He restored his reputation around the NFL by overseeing some of the league’s top-ranked defenses in Dallas, which is fresh off its third straight playoff appearance.

Also well known for overseeing the Seattle Seahawks’ defense under Pete Carroll from 2013-2014, Quinn was widely viewed as a favorite to return to the West Coast, with Carroll stepping out of the head-coaching job this offseason. Seattle recently hired Baltimore Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald, however, leaving Washington as the final vacancy.

Quinn joins a Commanders team that recently welcomed both new ownership and front-office leadership. Josh Harris now oversees the ownership group, while former San Francisco 49ers executive Adam Peters was installed this offseason as the new general manager. The new contingent owns the No. 2 overall pick in April’s 2024 NFL Draft.