 Quinn asWashington Commanders head coach, 2025 | |
| Washington Commanders | |
|---|---|
| Title | Head coach |
| Personal information | |
| Born | (1970-09-11)September 11, 1970 (age 55) Morristown, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Career information | |
| High school | Morristown |
| College | Salisbury (1989–1993) |
| Position | Defensive lineman, No. 99 |
| Career history | |
| |
| Awards and highlights | |
| |
| Head coaching record | |
| Regular season | 58–55 (.513) |
| Postseason | 5–3 (.625) |
| Career | 63–58 (.521) |
| Coaching profile atPro Football Reference | |
Daniel Patrick Quinn (born September 11, 1970) is an American professionalfootball coach who is thehead coach for theWashington Commanders of theNational Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as thedefensive coordinator of theSeattle Seahawks from 2013 to 2014, coaching a defense later known as theSeattle Cover 3 that featured theLegion of Boom secondary. In both years under Quinn, Seattle's defense lead the NFL in total defense and made consecutiveSuper Bowl appearances, winning the franchise's first inSuper Bowl XLVIII.
Quinn then served six seasons as the head coach of theAtlanta Falcons from 2015 to 2020, with the team appearing inSuper Bowl LI at the end of the 2016 season. Quinn would make the playoffs only once more in Atlanta, resulting in his firing in early 2020. He was hired as defensive coordinator of theDallas Cowboys in 2021, with his unit leading the league in takeaways for three consecutive seasons. Quinn was named head coach of the Commanders in 2024, leading them to an appearance in theNFC Championship Game in his first year.
Quinn was born on September 11, 1970, inMorristown, New Jersey.[2] He was a captain of theMorristown High School football team as acenter andlinebacker, earning all-conference honors as a senior in 1988.[3] Quinn attendedSalisbury University and played for theirfootball team from 1989 to 1993. He joined the team originally as a linebacker but transitioned to thedefensive line, recording 135 tackles, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and interception return touchdown during his career.[4][5] He also participated with the school'strack and field team, throwing theshot put,discus, andhammer.[4] Quinn's 168.8 feet (51.5 metres) throw with the hammer was a school record until 2012.[4][6] Quinn was inducted into Salisbury's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005.[6]
Quinn began his football coaching career as adefensive line coach with theWilliam & Mary Tribe in 1994 and theVMI Keydets in 1995.[7] From 1996 to 1999, Quinn served as the defensive line coach for theHofstra Pride and theirdefensive coordinator in 2000. He was hired as a defensive quality control coach by theSan Francisco 49ers in 2001.[8] He was promoted to defensive line coach in 2003, later working the same role for theMiami Dolphins (2005–2006),New York Jets (2007–2008), andSeattle Seahawks (2009–2010). He also served as defensive coordinator of theFlorida Gators in 2011 and 2012.[9]
On January 17, 2013, Quinn was hired by the Seahawks as theirdefensive coordinator under head coachPete Carroll.[10] In his first season, the Seahawks led the league in fewest points allowed (231), fewest yards allowed (4,378), andturnovers (39), to become the first team since the1985 Chicago Bears to accomplish the feat; the Seahawks went on to winSuper Bowl XLVIII over theDenver Broncos 43–8.[11][12] The Seahawks returned toSuper Bowl XLIX the following year, losing to theNew England Patriots 28–24.[13] Carroll and Quinn were credited with developing theSeattle Cover 3 defense led by a strong secondary known as theLegion of Boom.[14]
On February 2, 2015, Quinn was hired as head coach of theAtlanta Falcons.[15] He won his first game as head coach onMonday Night Football. The Falcons started 5–0 before finishing the season 8–8 and missing the playoffs.[16] In the2016 season, the Falcons won theNFC South with an 11–5 record.[17] In the Divisional Round, the Falcons defeated theSeattle Seahawks 36–20[18] before defeating theGreen Bay Packers in the NFC Championship, advancing toSuper Bowl LI.[19] In the Super Bowl, the Falcons gave up a 28–3 lead in the third quarter, thelargest in Super Bowl history.[20][21] Quinn won the 2016Salute to Service award at the6th NFL Honors.[22]
In the2017 season, the Falcons finished the year 10–6, which was only good enough for 3rd in the NFC South, but also good enough for the 6th seed in the playoffs.[23] In the Wild Card Round, the Falcons defeated the 3rd seededLos Angeles Rams by a score of 26–13 and advanced to the Divisional Round.[24] In the Divisional Round, the Falcons lost on the road to the eventualSuper Bowl championPhiladelphia Eagles by a score of 15–10.[25] In the2018 season, the Falcons were injury riddled throughout the season, losing seven starters to injured reserve and more for at least a game. Ultimately, the team finished 7–9, which placed the Falcons at second in the NFC South, and as the eight seed in the NFC, missing the playoffs for the first time since2015.[26] Following the firing of defensive coordinatorMarquand Manuel, Quinn took on the position of defensive coordinator for the Falcons.[27]
In the2019 season, the Falcons started the first half of the season going 1–7 with growing speculation that Falcons ownerArthur Blank would fire Quinn sometime during or at the end of the season. However, after a defensive turnaround with Quinn distributing some of the defensive play-calling duties to assistants, the team finished the season at 7–9, again placing second in the NFC South and missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year.[28] Blank announced that Quinn would return for the 2020 season after the season.[29] The Falcons began the2020 season with a 38–24 loss to theSeattle Seahawks. This loss marked Quinn's 40th loss of his head coaching career including playoff losses. On October 11, 2020, after an 0–5 start to the season, the Falcons' first since1997, Quinn, along with general managerThomas Dimitroff, was fired by the Falcons.[30] The team named defensive coordinatorRaheem Morris as the interim head coach.[31] Quinn finished his tenure in Atlanta with a 43–42 (.506) regular season record, 3–2 (.600) playoff record and a 46–44 (.511) career record.
On January 11, 2021, Quinn was hired by theDallas Cowboys replacingMike Nolan as defensive coordinator under head coachMike McCarthy.[32] Quinn stepped in as acting head coach in a game against theNew Orleans Saints after McCarthy had tested positive forCOVID-19. In Quinn's first season as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator, the team finished atop the NFC East with a 12–5 record.[33] A year after the Cowboys allowed a franchise-record 473 points and second-most rushing yards in franchise history, Quinn's defensive unit ranked 19th in the league in yards allowed per play (5.5), eighth in opponent's points per game (21.2) and first inturnovers (34). He was named the season'sAssistant Coach of the Year.[34] Quinn agreed to a contract extension with the team in January 2022.[35] Under his tenure, Quinn's defenses led the league in turnovers from 2021 to 2023.[36]
On February 3, 2024, Quinn was named head coach of theWashington Commanders.[37] He hired formerTexas Tech andArizona Cardinals head coachKliff Kingsbury as offensive coordinator and Cowboys secondary coachJoe Whitt Jr. as defensive coordinator.[38][39] Quinn and general managerAdam Peters selected quarterbackJayden Daniels with the second pick in the2024 NFL draft, who would have the most rushing yards and highest pass completion rate by a rookie quarterback in NFL history.[40][41] The season also featured theHail Maryland, aHail Mary pass play thrown by Daniels as time expired to win against theChicago Bears.[42]
The Commanders finished the2024 season with a record of12–5, their highest win total since1991 and most by a head coach in his first year with the team.[43] In the2024–25 NFL playoffs, the team defeated theTampa Bay Buccaneers andDetroit Lions before losing to thePhiladelphia Eagles in theNFC Championship Game.[44][45]
In Week 9 of the2025 season against theSeattle Seahawks, starting quarterbackJayden Daniels suffered adislocated left elbow on a sack late in the game.[46] The injury is expected to sideline him indefinitely.[47] The coaching decision to keep playing him down 38-7 against the Seahawks late in the fourth quarter, in which Daniels had already taken several tackles and hits, faced criticism.[47] Quinn took accountability for leaving Daniels in the game and said it was a mistake.[48] Following a five-game losing streak with the Commanders losing by 21 or more points in four consecutive games, Quinn announced that he would be taking over as interim defensive coordinator whileJoe Whitt Jr. would remain on his coaching staff in a demoted role on November 10, 2025.[49][50]
| Team | Year | Regular season | Postseason | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Won | Lost | Ties | Win % | Finish | Won | Lost | Win % | Result | ||
| ATL | 2015 | 8 | 8 | 0 | .500 | 2nd in NFC South | — | — | — | — |
| ATL | 2016 | 11 | 5 | 0 | .688 | 1st in NFC South | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost toNew England Patriots (Super Bowl LI) |
| ATL | 2017 | 10 | 6 | 0 | .625 | 3rd in NFC South | 1 | 1 | .500 | Lost toPhiladelphia Eagles (Divisional Round) |
| ATL | 2018 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2nd in NFC South | — | — | — | — |
| ATL | 2019 | 7 | 9 | 0 | .438 | 2nd in NFC South | — | — | — | — |
| ATL | 2020 | 0 | 5 | 0 | .000 | Fired | — | — | — | — |
| ATL total | 43 | 42 | 0 | .506 | — | 3 | 2 | .600 | — | |
| WAS | 2024 | 12 | 5 | 0 | .706 | 2nd in NFC East | 2 | 1 | .667 | Lost toPhiladelphia Eagles (NFC Championship) |
| WAS | 2025 | 3 | 8 | 0 | .273 | 3rd in NFC East | — | — | — | — |
| WAS total | 15 | 13 | 0 | .536 | — | 2 | 1 | .667 | — | |
| Total[51] | 57 | 55 | 0 | .509 | — | 5 | 3 | .625 | — | |
Quinn isCatholic.[52] He met his wife Stacey while attending Salisbury University.[53] Quinn often wears abaseball cap backwards during games, starting the practice during his time with the Cowboys in the early 2020s.[54] In 2025, he was awarded theTed Stevens Leadership Award by theTragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) for his work supporting families ofU.S. military personnel who died while serving.[55] Quinn performedvoice-over work in the announcement trailer of the upcoming 2025 video gameMadden NFL 26.[56] Quinn gave acommencement speech at Salisbury in May 2025 and received an honorarydoctorate degree from the school.[57]
Quinn's teams will aim to leverage tempo and a dual-threat-but-pass-first quarterback to set an aggressive tone on offense, while ballhawking and strain characterize a defense that Quinn hopes can steal a few possessions with takeaway magic reflective of his recent Cowboys teams (who led the league all three of Quinn's years in Dallas)
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| Division championships (15) | |
| Wild Card playoff berths (10) | |
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