All three Dallas Cowboys coordinators made the top five in their respective positions, according to a survey conducted among players.
The survey asked players to rate their offensive, defensive, and special teams coordinators during National Football League Players’ Association (NFLPA) visits between August and November 2023. The assessment was part of the second annual NFLPA Player Team Report Card project, which will release its full results at a later date.
For now, the association has revealed the top five at each position based on the “highest average rating,” as conveyed by players.
Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, thought by many to be on the cusp of his second head coaching gig, ranked third among defensive coordinators — just behind Detroit’s Aaron Glenn and San Francisco’s Steve Wilks and ahead of Minnesota’s Brian Flores and Raheem Morris of the Los Angeles Rams.
Since arriving in Dallas, Quinn’s unit has consistently been among the defensive leaders in the league and one of the top turnover creators.
“Dan Quinn’s as fine of a human being as I’ve ever worked with,” head coach Mike McCarthy told the media last week. “I just think the world of him and the way he goes about his business personally and professionally. … I had a tremendous amount of respect for him before he arrived here and have even more now.”
New offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer came in third among offensive coordinators after taking over the job in the offseason. He trails Miami’s Frank Smith and Carolina’s Thomas Brown and is above Cincinnati’s Brian Callahan and former Cowboys coordinator Kellen Moore, who is now with the Los Angeles Chargers.
Special teams coordinator John Fassel was rated the NFL’s No.1 special teams coordinator by players. Fassel helped quickly turn around what was once one of the worst special teams units in the league and has coached in the NFL for 19 seasons. Others on the list included Chris Tabor (Carolina), Matt Daniels (Minnesota), Dave Fipp (Detroit), and Darren Rizzi (New Orleans).
Each of the Cowboys’ coordinators has produced multiple Pro Bowlers this season, with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Zack Martin representing the offense, Micah Parsons and DaRon Bland representing the defense, and Bryan Anger and Brandon Aubrey representing special teams.
Participation was voluntary, and every player was allowed to provide feedback. According to the NFLPA and Artemis Strategy Group, which conducted the survey, 864 offensive players, 774 defensive players, and 1,025 who play on special teams participated.
