Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn speaks to the media during Media Day for Super Bowl XLVIII at Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
The Cleveland Browns head coaching search was a strange and oft-criticized process that eventually landed on Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, who was a solid hire for the organization. They were also somehow able to land both Kyle Shanahan and former Tennessee Titans offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains on the offensive side of the coaching staff, as Shanahan will be the OC and Loggains the quarterbacks coach.
Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn was the favorite to be hired by the Browns before they decided to go with Pettine, and their reasoning for choosing Pettine over Quinn was simply because they didn’t want to hold out on their search longer and didn’t want to wait for the Seahawks postseason run to end. In order for them to bring Quinn aboard, the Browns would have had to wait until after they were finished playing, and I wonder if they were that serious about having a coaching staff in place before the Senior Bowl (that seriously seems to be the reasoning). It was a pretty flawed premise, too, since the Browns had already waited long enough and could have afforded to wait longer out of prudency.
Anyway, Pettine is a solid coach, so it’s not too big of a deal. That said, the success of the Seattle Seahawks defense, of previous defensive coordinator Gus Bradley as the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars, and of the team last night have led Seahawks DC Dan Quinn to become an even more attractive candidate.
For those Browns fans who love Quinn and/or aren’t fans of Pettine, this comment might sting a little bit. The Cleveland Plain Dealer’s Mary Kay Cabot tweeted out this nugget from Quinn, “I certainly would’ve been interested in the job. It’s the Cleve Browns. It’s a big-time place”
He’ll probably be a head coach somewhere else soon, especially since a Super Bowl ring makes him an even more attractive candidate.