Quinn then served six seasons as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2015 to 2020, with the team appearing in Super Bowl LI in 2016. Quinn would make the playoffs only once following that, resulting in his firing in early 2020. He was hired as defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys in 2021, with his unit leading the league in takeaways for three consecutive seasons. Quinn was named head coach of the Commanders in 2024, leading them to an appearance in the NFC Championship Game in his first year.
In the 2017 season, the Falcons finished the year 10–6, which was only good enough for 3rd in the NFC South, but also good enough for the 6th seed in the playoffs.[19] In the Wild Card Round, the Falcons defeated the 3rd seeded Los Angeles Rams by a score of 26–13 and advanced to the Divisional Round.[20] In the Divisional Round, the Falcons lost on the road to the eventual Super Bowl championPhiladelphia Eagles by a score of 15–10.[21] In the 2018 season, the Falcons were injury riddled throughout the season, losing seven starters to injured reserve and more for at least a game. Ultimately, the team finished 7–9, which placed the Falcons at second in the NFC South, and as the eight seed in the NFC, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2015.[22] Following the firing of defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel, Quinn took on the position of defensive coordinator for the Falcons.
In the 2019 season, the Falcons started the first half of the season going 1–7 with growing speculation that Falcons owner Arthur Blank would fire Quinn sometime during or at the end of the season. However, after a defensive turnaround with Quinn distributing some of the defensive play-calling duties to assistants, the team finished the season at 7–9, again placing second in the NFC South and missing the playoffs for a second consecutive year.[23] Blank announced that Quinn would return for the 2020 season after the season.[24] The Falcons began the 2020 season with a 38–24 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. This loss marked Quinn's 40th loss of his head coaching career including playoff losses. On October 11, 2020, after an 0–5 start to the season, the Falcons' first since 1997, Quinn, along with general manager Thomas Dimitroff, was fired by the Falcons.[25] The team named defensive coordinator Raheem Morris as the interim head coach.[26] Quinn finished his tenure in Atlanta with a 43–42 (.506) regular season record, 3–2 (.600) playoff record and a 46–44 (.511) career record.
On January 11, 2021, Quinn was hired by the Dallas Cowboys replacing Mike Nolan as defensive coordinator under head coach Mike McCarthy.[27] Quinn stepped in as acting head coach in a game against the New Orleans Saints after McCarthy had tested positive for COVID-19. In Quinn's first season as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator, the team finished atop the NFC East with a 12–5 record. A year after the Cowboys allowed a franchise-record 473 points and second-most rushing yards in franchise history, Quinn's defensive unit ranked 19th in the league in yards allowed per play (5.5), eighth in opponent's points per game (21.2) and first in turnovers (34). He was named the season's Assistant Coach of the Year.[28] Quinn agreed to a contract extension with the team in January 2022.[29] Under his tenure, Quinn's defenses led the league in turnovers from 2021 to 2023.[30]
↑ Staff. "Morris Township basks in reflected glory of Super Bowl star", Morris NewsBee, February 3, 2014. Accessed February 20, 2017. "The defensive coordinator for the Super Bowl Champions Seattle Seahawks, Dan Quinn, is a native son of Morris Township, a Morristown High School graduate and the brother of Township Administrator Timothy Quinn."
↑ Coughlin, Kevin. "Falcon coach Dan Quinn's road to Super Bowl started at Morristown High", MorristownGreen.com, February 5, 2017. Accessed February 20, 2017. "The youngest of six kids, Quinn grew up in Morris Township playing baseball and football. At Morristown High School, where he graduated in 1989, he captained the football team for two years, playing center and linebacker and winning all-conference honors as a senior."
↑ Epstein, Jori (June 25, 2024). "In new opportunity with Commanders and Jayden Daniels, Dan Quinn is checking his blind spots". Yahoo. Retrieved July 4, 2024. Quinn's teams will aim to leverage tempo and a dual-threat-but-pass-first quarterback to set an aggressive tone on offense, while ballhawking and strain characterize a defense that Quinn hopes can steal a few possessions with takeaway magic reflective of his recent Cowboys teams (who led the league all three of Quinn's years in Dallas)
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