Rhiannon Walker
NFL coach firings, hirings and movement tracker: Commanders set to hire Cowboys DC Dan Quinn
Quinn's hire means all NFL head coaching vacancies have been filled
The Washington Commanders will reportedly be hiring Dan Quinn as their new head coach, according to multiple reports.
Quinn, 53, has been the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys since 2021, and his only previous NFL head coaching job came with the Atlanta Falcons from 2015-2020. Over parts of six seasons in Atlanta, the team made the playoffs twice and won the NFC South division one time.
Quinn was fired after an 0-5 start to the 2020 season.
Quinn, the NFL's 2021 Assistant Coach of the Year, will be replacing Ron Rivera, who was fired on Jan. 8 after four season in charge.
This move is the first big one for new Commanders general manager Adam Peters. It also means that all NFL head coaching vacancies have been filled following the Seattle Seahawks hiring Mike Macdonald on Wednesday.
With all of the NFL head coaching jobs taken, Bill Belichick, Mike Vrabel, and Pete Carroll are among the names who will have to wait a while before they pursue their next job.
The two most high-profile hirings this cycle have been Raheem Morris (Atlanta Falcons) and Jim Harbaugh (Los Angeles Chargers).
The Falcons made the somewhat surprising choice of Morris after the team interviewed former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick multiple times and had a long list of high-profile interviews for the position.
Morris does have history with the team, however, serving as defensive coordinator in 2020 and interim head coach for the final 11 games of that season. He also served various assistant coaching roles on the offensive side in Atlanta from 2015-19.
He's been leading the defense for the Rams since 2021.
The Chargers landed perhaps the biggest name on the market by luring Jim Harbaugh away from Michigan.
Weeks after leading his alma mater to a national championship, Harbaugh is returning to the NFL to coach the Chargers, the team announced on Jan. 24.
Before coaching nine seasons at Michigan, Harbaugh coached the San Francisco 49ers for four seasons from 2011-14. The 49ers never had a losing record in any of those seasons, reaching a Super Bowl and three NFC title games, but an 8-8 season in 2014 and acrimony between Harbaugh and the front office helped lead to his return to the college ranks.
He'll be paired with Joe Hortiz, who is the Chargers' new general manager. Hortiz has served as the Baltimore Ravens' director of player personnel since 2019.
Elsewhere in the NFL, the Carolina Panthers announced Jan. 25 the hiring of Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Dave Canales as head coach. He'll join Dan Morgan, who the Panthers hired as their new GM/president of football operations a few days earlier. Canales came to Tampa Bay in 2023 following 13 seasons as an assistant for the Seahawks.
Meanwhile, the Tennessee Titans hired Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Brian Callahan as head coach, the team announced Jan. 24.
Callahan will replace Mike Vrabel, who was fired after six seasons with the Titans. They went 6-11 and missed the playoffs for a second straight year this season.
The 2024 class of head coaches
Atlanta Falcons — Raheem Morris, Rams defensive coordinator
Carolina Panthers — Dave Canales, Buccaneers offensive coordinator
Los Angeles Chargers — Jim Harbaugh, Michigan Wolverines head coach
Las Vegas Raiders — Antonio Pierce, Raiders interim head coach
New England Patriots — Jerod Mayo, Patriots linebackers coach
Tennessee Titans — Brian Callahan, Bengals offensive coordinator
Seattle Seahawks — Mike Macdonald, Ravens defensive coordinator
Washington Commanders — Dan Quinn, Cowboys defensive coordinator
Keep up with all the changes in some of the NFL's top jobs right here with Yahoo Sports.
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