The Washington Commanders officially introduced former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as the 31st head coach in franchise history on Tuesday.
Quinn was the final head coach hired this offseason, replacing Ron Rivera after four seasons. He stressed the importance of working with the right people during his introductory press conference.
“There is nothing I enjoy more than doing hard s**t with good people,” he said, referring to owner Josh Harrison and general manager Adam Peters. “These guys here are good people. I can’t wait to get it rocking here.”
According to the NFL Network, the Cowboys will meet with Rivera to discuss their defensive coordinator opening.
Quinn remodeled Dallas’ defense into an elite unit that led the league in turnovers for two consecutive seasons and was a crucial part of back-to-back-to-back 12-win years. That stretch helped him get another shot as a head coach, for which he has been preparing since his tenure in Atlanta ended, and he wants to instill the lessons he’s learned in his new team.
“You want to run with those lessons and go prove it,” Quinn told the media. “The best competitive moments of my life have come when you’ve got to prove it, and that’s what I want to apply.”
The 53-year-old has already made two significant hires, adding an offensive coordinator and a defensive coordinator over the weekend.
Former Arizona Cardinals head coach, Texas Tech head coach, and Texas Tech star quarterback Kliff Kingsbury will be Washington’s offensive coordinator. While Kingsbury has a questionable track record as a head coach, he has been regarded as one of the young and innovative offensive minds in football and has spent the last year working with another similar talent — USC head coach Lincoln Riley.
Perhaps his innovation can get the offense on track after a few years of it not meeting expectations, and maybe Washington even gets a crack at bringing in USC star quarterback Caleb Williams with the second overall pick in April’s NFL Draft if he is their top-rated quarterback even after a down year.
On the defensive side of the ball, Quinn has chosen to bring Cowboys secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. with him. Whitt Jr. has 17 years of experience as an NFL coach, worked with Quinn in both Dallas and Atlanta, and was considered a candidate to replace Quinn in Dallas but instead joined the rival franchise in Washington.
The Cowboys and Commanders play each other twice annually as division foes, but the NFL will not release its official schedule until later in the offseason, so it is unclear when Quinn will make his return to Arlington.
