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Commanders hiring Cowboys’ Dan Quinn to fill final NFL head coaching vacancy

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Published Feb. 1, 2024, 11:22 a.m. ET

Every NFL head coaching vacancy has now been filled.

The Washington Commanders are hiring Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as their new head coach, multiple reports stated Thursday morning.

Quinn, 53, gets his second crack at being an NFL head coach after leading the Falcons from 2015-20, taking them to Super Bowl LI seven years ago, when they infamously blew a 28-3 lead to the Patriots.

He was 43-42 during the regular season as Falcons coach, getting fired in 2020 after an 0-5 start.

There was some belief Quinn would end up back with the Seahawks, where he was defensive coordinator from 2013-14 and won Super Bowl XLVIII, but Seattle hired Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald.

Ron Rivera was fired by the Commanders after a 4-13 campaign in his fourth season in Washington, with new owner Josh Harris opting for a fresh start.

Quinn, who was the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator for the last three years, joins first-year Commanders GM Adam Peters in forming a new regime in Washington; Peters was an assistant GM with the 49ers.

Dan Quinn most recently served as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator.
Dan Quinn most recently served as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

In 2023, the Cowboys defense allowed the fifth-fewest yards per game in the NFL at 299.7 and fifth-fewest points per game at 18.5.

But Dallas got chewed up by the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers in their 48-32 wild-card loss, surrendering 415 yards and 41 points; a Dak Prescott pick-six accounted for the other seven points.

Quinn’s hiring assures that, barring an unforeseen firing, Bill Belichick will not be an NFL head coach in 2024.

Dan Quinn (r.) with Cowboys safety Markquese Bell (14).
Dan Quinn (r.) with Cowboys safety Markquese Bell (14). AP

After parting ways with the Patriots, who promoted Jerod Mayo to be their new coach, Belichick only interviewed with the Falcons, who ended up hiring Raheem Morris.

The other NFL teams that hired head coaches this cycle were the Chargers (Jim Harbaugh), Panthers (Dave Canales), Raiders (Antonio Pierce) and Titans (Brian Callahan).