Quinn and Shanahan have ties going back to Atlanta. That was when Quinn was at his best
The last domino to fall in the NFL’s head coaching hiring cycle happened Thursday morning, as the Washington Commanders hired Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn for their head coaching position.
The last time Quinn was a head coach, he had Kyle Shanahan as his offensive coordinator. Mike McDaniel and Matt LaFleur were also on his staff. All three of them are head coaches in the NFL for teams that made the playoffs.
Quinn’s career wasn’t the same with the Atlanta Falcons once Shanahan became the head coach of the San Francisco 49ers. With Kyle calling the plays, Quinn’s Falcons were 19-13, including an NFC Championship victory. Without Shanahan, Quinn went 24-29.
You’re doing it wrong if you’re not hiring a Shanahan/Sean McVay clone in today’s NFL. Based on Quinn’s previous success, he has to go down that route again, right? Here’s a list of coaches who have direct ties to Quinn:
Coaches with direct links to Dan Quinn. Would think guys like Kris Richard and Al Harris get long looks
Haven’t included Kyle Shanahan, Matt LaFleur and Mike McDaniel, but he had those 3 all on staff in Atlanta and could conceivably try and add from their staffs (Klint Kubiak?) pic.twitter.com/h1y0CzT6fb
— Mark Bullock (@MarkBullockNFL) February 1, 2024
But that doesn’t mean Quinn wouldn’t have interest in Brian Griese, Brian Fleury, Klint Kubiak, or Anthony Lynn — all coaches who have interviewed outside of the building at least once during the past calendar year.
Just because there are no more head coaching jobs to go around, the 49ers aren’t out of the woods yet regarding their coaching staff members being poached.
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