The Denver Broncos are actively searching for their new head coach after firing Nathaniel Hackett late last year, and Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is very much in the running.
The Broncos have requested permission to interview Quinn; he was one of the top candidates for the head coaching job last year, and remains one of the franchise's top candidates this year, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.
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Quinn has manned defensive coordinator duties with the Cowboys since 2021, after six seasons as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Quinn led the 2016 iteration of the team to Super bowl LI, an accomplishment overshadowed by them surrendering the largest lead in Super Bowl history. He was fired in 2020 before joining the Cowboys.
The 52-year-old New Jersey native was named NFL AP Assistant Coach of the Year for the 2021 season after transforming the Cowboys defence into one of the best units in the league.
Quinn first came to prominence as the defensive coordinator of the Seattle Seahawks from 2013 to 2014, leading the “Legion of Boom” secondary. He won a Super Bowl with the franchise in Super Bowl XLVIII during the 2013 season.
The Broncos have also requested permission to interview Los Angeles Rams' defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter on Monday. It comes amid an uncertain time in LA as Sean McVay's future as the Rams' head coach is reportedly “in limbo.”
Hackett was fired by the Broncos in December after a 4-11 start to the season; Jerry Rosburg has been serving as interim head coach since the sacking. Both Sean Payton and Jim Harbaugh have been linked to the vacant coaching position.
If Dan Quinn does end up leading the Denver Broncos in 2023, it would be his first head coaching gig since 2020, and the franchise's 20th head coach.