Dan Quinn (American football)

Daniel Patrick Quinn (born September 11, 1970) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He competed in the hammer throw and as a defensive lineman at Salisbury University in the early 1990s. Quinn coached college defensive lines prior to his first NFL job in 2001. He was the defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks in 2013 and 2014 known for its 4–3 hybrid defense led by the Legion of Boom secondary that helped the team appear in two consecutive Super Bowls, winning XLVIII.

Quinn was hired as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons in 2015. He led the team to Super Bowl LI the following season, where the Falcons surrendered a 28-3 lead, the largest in Super Bowl history. Quinn and the Falcons would make the playoffs only once before he was fired early into the 2020 season after a winless start. He joined the Dallas Cowboys as defensive coordinator in 2021, coaching units that led the NFL in turnovers for three consecutive seasons prior to him being hired as Commanders head coach in 2024.

Early life
Quinn was born on September 11, 1970, in Morristown, New Jersey. He grew up in nearby Morris Township and played football at Morristown High School before graduating in 1989. Quinn attended Salisbury University, an NCAA Division III school, and played defensive lineman on its football team from 1990 to 1993. He was a four-year starter in football and held the school's hammer throw record (168.8 feet) until 2012. Quinn was inducted into Salisbury's athletic hall of fame in 2005.

Early coaching (1994–2012)
Quinn began his coaching career with the William & Mary Tribe football team in 1994 and at Virginia Military Institute in 1995, working with their defensive lines. From 1996 to 1999, Quinn served as the defensive line coach at Hofstra and their defensive coordinator in 2000. He was hired as a defensive quality control coach by the San Francisco 49ers in 2001. He was promoted to defensive line coach in 2003, later working the same role for the Miami Dolphins (2005–2006), New York Jets (2007–2008), and Seattle Seahawks (2009–2010). He also served as defensive coordinator of the Florida Gators (2011–2012).

Seattle Seahawks (2013–2014)
On January 17, 2013, Quinn was hired by the Seahawks as their defensive coordinator. In his first season, the Seahawks led the league in fewest points allowed (231), fewest yards allowed (4,378), and turnovers (39), to become the first team since the 1985 Chicago Bears to accomplish the feat; the Seahawks went on to win Super Bowl XLVIII over the Denver Broncos 43-8 with a 4–3 hybrid defense led by a strong Cover 3 secondary nicknamed the Legion of Boom.

Atlanta Falcons (2015–2020)
On February 2, 2015, Quinn was hired as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. He won his first game as head coach on Monday Night Football. The Falcons started 5-0 before finishing the season 8–8 and missing the playoffs. In the 2016 season, the Falcons won the NFC South with an 11–5 record. In the Divisional Round, the Falcons defeated the Seattle Seahawks 36–20 before defeating the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship, advancing to Super Bowl LI. In the Super Bowl, the Falcons gave up a 28-3 lead in the third quarter, the largest in Super Bowl history. Quinn won the 2016 Salute to Service Award at the 6th Annual NFL Honors. In the 2017 season, the Falcons finished the year 10–6, which was only good enough for 3rd in the NFC South, but also good enough for the 6th seed in the playoffs. In the Wild Card Round, the Falcons defeated the 3rd seeded Los Angeles Rams by a score of 26–13 and advanced to the Divisional Round. In the Divisional Round, the Falcons lost on the road to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles by a score of 15–10. In the 2018 season, the Falcons were injury riddled throughout the season, losing seven starters to injured reserve and more for at least a game. Ultimately, the team finished 7–9, which placed the Falcons at second in the NFC South, and as the eight seed in the NFC, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2015. Following the firing of defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel, Quinn took on the position of defensive coordinator for the Falcons.

In the 2019 season, the Falcons started the first half of the season going 1–7 with growing speculation that Falcons owner Arthur Blank would fire Quinn sometime during or at the end of the season. However, after a defensive turnaround with Quinn distributing some of the defensive play-calling duties to assistants, the team finished the season at 7–9, again placing second in the NFC South and missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year. Blank announced that Quinn would return for the 2020 season after the season. The Falcons began the 2020 season with a 38-24 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. This loss marked Quinn's 40th loss of his head coaching career including playoff losses. On October 11, 2020, after an 0–5 start to the season, the Falcons' first since 1997, Quinn, along with general manager Thomas Dimitroff, was fired by the Falcons. The team named defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as the interim head coach. Quinn finished his tenure in Atlanta with a 43–42 (.506) regular season record, 3–2 (.600) playoff record and a 46–44 (.511) career record.

Dallas Cowboys (2021–2023)
On January 11, 2021, Quinn was hired by the Dallas Cowboys as their defensive coordinator under head coach Mike McCarthy, replacing Mike Nolan, who was dismissed following the 2020 season. Quinn stepped in as acting head coach in a game against the New Orleans Saints after McCarthy had tested positive for COVID-19. In Quinn's first season as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator, the team finished atop the NFC East with a 12–5 record. A year after the Cowboys allowed a franchise-record 473 points and second-most rushing yards in franchise history, Quinn's defensive unit ranked 19th in the league in yards allowed per play (5.5), eighth in opponent's points per game (21.2) and first in turnovers (34). He was named the season's Assistant Coach of the Year. Quinn agreed to a contract extension with the team in January 2022. Under his tenure, Quinn's defenses led the league in turnovers from 2021 to 2023.

Washington Commanders (2024–present)
On February 3, 2024, Quinn was named head coach of the Washington Commanders. He hired former Texas Tech and Arizona Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator and Cowboys secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. as defensive coordinator. Quinn and general manager Adam Peters selected quarterback Jayden Daniels with the second pick in the 2024 NFL draft.

Head coaching record
Six of Quinn's assistants have been hired as head coaches:
 * Kyle Shanahan, San Francisco 49ers (2017–present)
 * Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers (2019–present)
 * Charlie Jackson, Kentucky State (2019–2021)
 * Mike McDaniel, Miami Dolphins (2022–present)

Personal life
Quinn met his wife Stacey while attending Salisbury University. He is a Catholic.