It had been believed Dan Quinn was a near-lock to be hired, getting his second chance to be an NFL head coach. He’s been reported to be a finalist for several jobs, including Denver, Chicago, and the New York Giants.
Now? The Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator has withdrawn his name and is no longer looking to become a head coach this season despite interviewing with six franchises. Instead, Quinn will stick around in Dallas another season, hoping to get the bad taste out of his mouth after a disappointing end to their year.
It’s an odd move, especially since there are still seven head coaching vacancies, including the Giants, who have yet to officially hire their next head coach.
Could Mike McCarthy’s status be impacting Dan Quinn?
Why is Quinn removing his name from the list of candidates on the very first day teams have begun hiring? He may be thinking of the bigger picture in the long term, but it may not be that far away. Maybe the Cowboys are even still considering a coaching change, waiting to see what else happens around the NFL, with other hirings once the Super Bowl teams are settled.
It’s a mild surprise team owner Jerry Jones didn’t fire coach Mike McCarthy after their playoff loss in the Wild Card Round. McCarthy may very well be on the short leash entering next season on the hot seat.
Unless he’s hired to become a head coach elsewhere, indications are that Kellen Moore may stick around for another season as the Cowboys offensive coordinator. With Quinn also on staff, Jones would have two options to go to in the interim if he decided to fire McCarthy mid-season if he doesn’t like what he sees early on.
Quinn, as the far-more experienced of the two, may just be Jerry’s top choice for the gig. It could be that Quinn is looking around the current vacancies and thinking he’d much rather prefer to someday coach the Cowboys instead. Who wouldn’t want the opportunity to coach a team led by Dak Prescott and Micah Parsons? It just might be the best decision Quinn has made.
