Both Dallas Cowboys coordinators have received requests from other organizations to interview for head coaching vacancies.
The Denver Broncos have requested permission to interview defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, and the Carolina Panthers have requested the same for offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
Quinn joined the Cowboys as defensive coordinator in 2021 and immediately turned around the 28th-ranked defense in the league. His unit has led the league in turnovers forced in each of his two seasons in Dallas.
Quinn is an experienced NFL head coach. Before coming to Dallas, he was the head coach for the Atlanta Falcons and even led the team to its second-ever Super Bowl appearance.
The Broncos were one of several teams to interview Quinn for their head coaching position last offseason. However, the Broncos selected Nathaniel Hackett, and Quinn ultimately signed a contract extension to remain with the Cowboys that included a “substantial raise.”
“Anybody asks you, you’re flattered,” Quinn said. “I’m having a blast here. If down the line there’s an opportunity that lights me up, we’ll discuss it then.”
Denver ended up hiring Hackett, who was fired partway through his first season.
The Broncos are also one of many teams interviewing former New Orleans Saints head coach and former Cowboys assistant coach Sean Payton, who is currently in broadcasting but under contract with New Orleans. Any team that chooses to hire Payton would need to trade for him.
Moore is in his fourth season as Dallas’s offensive coordinator. He spent six seasons as a backup quarterback with the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys before joining the Cowboys as quarterbacks coach in 2018.
He was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2019, which turned into a career year for quarterback Dak Prescott. The offense led the league in total yards and finished the season second in passing and fifth in rushing.
The 2020 offense stayed afloat despite many key injuries, and the 2021 unit led the league in total yardage and points per game. This year, the Cowboys were fourth in scoring offense.
Moore is choosing to concentrate more on the task at hand — beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the Cowboys’ first road playoff win in 30 years — but took the time to acknowledge interest from potential suitors earlier this week.
“Not too worried about it right now,” he told reporters on Monday. “We’ll go through that process if we have to… I love it here.”
Carolina is trying to replace former Baylor head coach Matt Rhule who was fired five games into the 2022-23 season.