Commanders WATCH: Stephen A. Smith Reacts to Dan Quinn Hire

The Commanders' decision to hire Dan Quinn as its next head coach has divided some, including a shocked Stephen A. Smith.

The Washington Commanders have hired Dan Quinn to be the team’s head coach, but not everyone is excited.

During an episode of First Take, Stephen A. Smith reacted to the team hiring the former Atlanta Falcons head coach and Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator.

Newly hired Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn took some criticism from Stephen A. Smith for leaving the Dallas Cowboys after an embarrassing loss / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

“I’m not questioning his football qualifications; as a head coach in Atlanta, he was decent, got them to a Super Bowl,” Smith said. “The last time we saw him was in a playoff game with the Dallas Cowboys, the defense looked horrific… in moments that it really mattered, they came up short. To me, if you’re a division rival in the NFC East, aIf the backdrop for it, for that to be your hire?"

An unimpressed Stephen A. Smith reacts to the breaking news of the Washington Commanders hiring Dan Quinn as their head coach. pic.twitter.com/cRmry3ecmR

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Quinn has led many successful defenses but will always be associated with the Falcons' infamous 28-3 blown lead against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl back in 2017. No matter how much success Quinn has, there will always be people such as Smith who want him to make amends for a day he was off.

In this case, Smith said that although he doesn’t view Quinn as a bad hire for Washington. Smith simply believed that he should’ve returned to Dallas to redeem himself of his shortcomings against the Green Bay Packers this postseason.

Of course, the idea of allowing guilt or media pressure to prevent Quinn from accepting another head coaching job is comical, considering just how few and far between opportunities to coach at the highest level are.

During Quinn's time as a head coach, he amassed a 43-42 record with three straight sub-.500 seasons to end his Atlanta tenure before going back to being a coordinator and finally earning another opportunity.

Rather than apologize to Cowboys fans, Quinn will instead focus on making their lives even worse by helping rebuild the team’s rival, the Commanders, as a legitimate NFC threat going forward. 

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“I’m not saying that the man can’t coach, I’m not saying that the man doesn’t deserve a job, I’m not even saying he doesn’t deserve to be a head coach,” Smith said. “But an NFC East rival, coming off what I saw them do, am I excited about this hire for the nation’s capital? No.”

Now it's up for Quinn to show Washington fans why they should be excited about the future by establishing a winning culture and dominating the offseason.