The Dallas Cowboys agreed on a principle agreement for Dan Quinn to become their new defensive coordinator, reported Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network and Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network Insider on Monday. It’s a three-year contract for Quinn, reports Rapoport.
The Cowboys later announced that they had agreed with Quinn.
Quinn was fired in the 2020 season as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons and will replace Mike Nolan, who was recently dismissed from the Cowboys as his DC.
Earlier on Monday, Rapoport reported that Quinn was on a flight to Dallas to meet with the Cowboys bosses and that the meeting clearly went well, as Quinn will be joining Coach Mike McCarthy’s team. The meeting in person followed Dallas spending several hours at Zoom with Quinn.
In the past, if owner Jerry Jones hit a target, he hits it and that proved to be the case once again.
Quinn, 50, was fired by the Falcons five games in the 2020 season with a record of 0-5. In more than five seasons in Atlanta, Quinn posted a record 43-42, including a trip to the Super Bowl in 2016.
Prior to being the Falcons’ head coach, Quinn succeeded Gus Bradley as a defensive coordinator in Seattle, taking over the Boom Legion at its peak. In two years as a defensive coordinator for the Seahawks, Quinn’s defense ranked first in yards and points in both seasons.
Quinn’s defenses in Atlanta, however, did not follow suit. In the past two years, the Falcons have really improved in defense when Raheem Morris took control.
After a horrific season under Nolan that resulted in his resignation, the Cowboys made a quick decision about who they wanted to take them in a new direction.