Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, a defensive line coach by trade, has coached next to some of the games’ top names.
He’s spent time with Nick Saban and Pete Carroll.
He’s also coached with former Falcons head coach Jim Mora, Steve Marriucci, Dennis Erikson and Will Muschamp.
After his second interview, if the Falcons think he’s ready to become “The Next Great Head Coach” like Sports Illustrated proclaimed, he could become the franchise’s next head coach.
Quinn, a native of Morristown, N.J., is at the forefront of the Falcons’ head coaching search. The team is covered if there is a major glitch because Detroit defensive coordinator Teryl Austin is still available to the team.
Of the eight people interviewed for the position, which became open after Mike Smith was fired on Dec. 29, Austin is the only to have a second interview. Quinn is scheduled to join him on Monday.
The Falcons watched the NFC championship game with great interest on Sunday. After Seattle defeated the Green Bay Packers in overtime, the Falcons made plans to fly to Seattle to meet with Quinn on Monday.
Quinn, 44, dazzled the franchise in his initial interview and will be allowed to have a second interview since the Falcons interviewed him during the playoff bye week and don’t have to wait until after the Super Bowl, per league rules. However, the Falcons could not strike a deal with him until after the Super Bowl.
After playing on the defensive line for the Seagulls at Salisbury State (now Salisbury University) in Maryland from 1990 to 1993, Quinn started his coaching career at William and Mary in 1994. He coached at Virginia Military Institute (1995) and Hofstra (1996-2000) before landing a quality control position with the San Francisco 49ers on Steve Mariucci’s staff.
When Dennis Erickson took over in San Francisco, Quinn was promoted to defensive line coach.
In 2005, he joined Nick Saban’s staff with the Miami Dolphins. After Saban bolted from the NFL for the Alabama job, Quinn went on to coach with Eric Mangini and the New York Jets (2007-08) and with Jim Mora and Pete Carroll with Seattle (2009-10).
After the 2010 season, he returned to the college ranks to be Will Muschamp’s defensive coordinator at Florida.
He returned to Seattle for the 2013 season and inherited the “Legion of Boom” defense from Gus Bradley, who took the head coach job with Jacksonville.
Quinn started to attract league-wide attention last season despite being just a one-year coordinator. He had interviews with Cleveland and Minnesota, but lost out to more seasoned coordinators in Mike Pettine and Mike Zimmer, respectively.
The immediate challenge for the new coach will be to assemble a coaching staff.
The Falcons tried to retain most of their key assistants, who were under contract for next season. They allowed offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to leave for Tampa Bay, defensive backs coach Joe Danna for the Jets and when offensive line coach Mike Tice caused such a ruckus in the building last Thursday and Friday, they let him out of his contract. He appears headed for Oakland, while the Falcons are left to consider possible tampering charges.
Specials teams coordinator Keith Armstrong, who coached with Quinn in Miami, was also interviewed for the head coaching position. He was denied permission to speak to the Jets.
Austin was interviewed last Thursday and the Falcons requested permission to interview Denver offensive coordinator Adam Gase to couple with Austin. He’s since interviewed of the opening in Jacksonville.
Austin, 49, was in his first season as Detroit’s defensive coordinator. He spent the three previous seasons with the Baltimore Ravens.
The Falcons and Denver are the only teams left in the market for head coaching candidates.
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