Sources: Quinn hired to lead Commanders into next era of Washington football

Former Cowboys defensive coordinator expected to instill discipline immediately as he takes over a team from Ron Rivera, who had no success in the nation's capital.

Scott Alan Salomon

Former Dallas Cowboys' defensive coordinator will stay in the NFC East and serve as the next head coach of the Washington Commanders, per league sources. / Perry Knotts/GettyImages

The third time is the charm for new Washington Commanders head coach Dan Quinn.

Since being terminated by Atlanta, Quinn interviewed for open head coaching jobs for the third cycle in a row.

Quinn has finally landed one of the best 32 jobs in America. The architect of the revamped Dallas defense that took the league by storm early in 2023 has been selected to lead the Commanders, per Adam Schefter of ESPN.

From Dallas to D.C.: the Commanders are hiring Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as their head coach, per league sources.

Quinn and Commanders’ GM Adam Peters are the two men now charged with leading Washington into the future. pic.twitter.com/G9DUdspQPK
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 1, 2024

Quinn was the last man standing as Seattle selected Mike MacDonald as their new coach yesterday. Quinn gets the job in Washington after interviewing with them on several different occasions. Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was rumored to be Washington's first choice, but he announced earlier in the week that he was staying in the Motor City.

In the game of musical chairs, Washington was the last team left to select a new head coach and apparently, Quinn was the best man left for the job.

Quinn is leaving Dallas after a first-round playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers. To make matters worse, the Cowboys had rough finish to the season after starting the season with such promise. Quinn did an admirable job with the talent that he had and assisted in making Micah Parsons a great player.

Dallas will see Quinn twice next season due to divisional scheduling. Further, the Cowboys will also face former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore twice as well as Moore leaves San Diego to take the reigns as offensive coordinator in Philadelphia.

As Quinn takes over the seat formerly occupied by Rivera, it has been rumored that Rivera will take over in Dallas for Quinn. That would be an interesting development if it materializes.

NFL Spin Zone will keep you abreast of this situation as more detail evolve in the coming days.

Scott Alan Salomon

Scott Salomon joined The Rat Trick, while also working for Sports Illustrated covering breaking news and analysis for Miami Dolphins On SI. In June he joined Miami Heat On SI and Back in the Day Hoops On SI. Scott also covers the New York Giants, the San Antonio Spurs and the Miami Hurricanes. Scott is based in South Florida and has been covering the local and national sports scene for 35 years. Scott has covered and has been credentialed for the Super Bowl, the NFL Combine, various Orange Bowls and college football championship games. Scott was also credentialed for the NBA All-Star game and covered the Miami Heat during their first six seasons for USA TODAY. He is also a credentialed member of the Florida Panthers media. Scott is a graduate of the University of Miami School of Communication and the St. Thomas University School of Law. Scott has two sons and his hobbies include watching sports on television and binge watching shows on various streaming services.