Report: Colts Request HC Interview With Cowboys DC Dan Quinn

The Indianapolis Colts are on the hunt for a new head coach and Dan Quinn could be the man.

The Indianapolis Colts have requested another name to interview for their head coach position. This name is familiar: Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. ESPN's Todd Archer broke the news. 

"The Indianapolis Colts have put in a request to interview Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, according to multiple sources. Quinn is scheduled to interview with the Denver Broncos on Friday," Archer tweeted. 

The Indianapolis Colts have put in a request to interview Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, according to multiple sources. Quinn is scheduled to interview with the Denver Broncos on Friday.

— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) January 17, 2023

Quinn was a head coach before joining Mike McCarthy’s staff in Big D, which will play into his interview and how the Colts view him, without question. With coaching experience as far as the eye can see and a Cowboys defense playing at a high level, it’s no wonder he’s getting another potential shot to run his own team.

Everyone knows Quinn for the Cowboys’ defense and the Falcons’ tenure as the head coach from 2015-2020, but Quinn has been in the league since 2001 when he was the defensive quality control for the San Francisco 49ers — promoted to the defensive line coach until 2005 when the Miami Dolphins would come calling. There, he continued to coach the defensive line and would transfer those talents to the same group for the New York Jets (2007-2008) and the Seattle Seahawks (2009-2010).

For a brief two-year period, he would run the defense (and the defensive line) for the University of Florida Gators (2011-2012), then return to coach a torrid Seahawks defense (2013-2014). All this defensive knowledge was what Falcons owner Arthur Blank needed in Atlanta at the time. 

Quinn would be the head coach for the next six seasons and would take the legendary combination of Matt Ryan to Julio Jones to new heights and an NFC Championship in 2016. However, the team would slide until his eventual dismissal, which is what puts him with the Cowboys.

In 2022, the defense for Dallas was electric, finishing eighth in the NFL in passing yards allowed (3,415), sixth in total points (342), and t-fifth with the Cincinnati Bengals in points allowed per contest (20.1). Not to mention, the team had 54 sacks in the regular season, and Micah Parsons erupted with 13.5 of those.

Now in the playoffs, the Cowboys took out the Tom Brady-led Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wildcard Round, 31-14. The offense was efficient, but the defense consistently made Brady uncomfortable, leading to one of the worst interceptions thrown from the G.O.A.T. in recent memory. Dallas will continue to take this defensive mentality into the Divisional Round to face off against the Niners.

Quinn has plenty of tools and knowledge to help any franchise, even with the offense. He helped to turn the Falcons into a serious contender and shaped their defense into a competitive opponent for any offense to face. 

Now, Quinn is doing the same thing in Dallas with young talent and veteran talents alike. Mostly showing a lousy record in 2020 (0-5 before being fired), he has a career record of 43-42 with three playoff wins and a trip to the Super Bowl under his belt.

What will Indianapolis think about the defensive mastermind and former head coach? We’ll see after he speaks with Chris Ballard. 

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