After the Seahawks announced the hiring of head coach Mike Macdonald, there was only one vacancy left in the NFL. The Washington Commanders were the final team in search of a new head coach. They fired Ron Rivera this offseason after going 4-13 in his final season. He left the Commanders with the #2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. 

Their head coaching vacancy needed to be addressed and it seems like the Commanders have found their candidate. Per Adam Schefter of ESPN, Dallas’ defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is set to be hired by Washington. This will be his second stint in the NFL as a head coach. He was previously with the Falcons from 2015-2020.

The Commanders have decided to go with Dan Quinn as their next head coach

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

It seemed as if the Commanders were not going to rush into finding their next head coach. They were the last team to not have their head coach decided for next season. Just recently, the team announced they’re hiring Dan Quinn. He had spent the last three seasons as the defensive coordinator for the Dallas Cowboys, Quinn is staying in the NFC East and is now the head coach of the Commanders.

This offseason, Washington has a new GM in Adam Peters. Having a head coach with experience might have played into why Quinn was hired over other candidates. The 53-year-old has six years of experience as a head coach in the NFL. Quinn was waiting for his chance to be a head coach again and he’s gotten that opportunity with the Commanders. Many thought he might land the job in Seattle this offseason but that was not the case.

NFL’s now completed 2024 head-coaching hiring-cycle scorecard:

Commanders: Dan Quinn

Seahawks: Mike Macdonald

Falcons: Raheem Morris

Panthers: Dave Canales

Chargers: Jim Harbaugh

Titans: Brian Callahan

Raiders: Antonio Pierce

Patriots: Jerod Mayo

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 1, 2024

Defense was clearly an issue the Commanders needed to address this offseason. The hiring of Dan Quinn helps massively. While he doesn’t have the same players he had in Dallas, Quinn is still an excellent play-caller. However, his defense fell apart in the wildcard round vs. the Green Bay Packers and let up 48 points. Now, Quinn gets a chance to have a fresh start in Washington and help get the team back on track. They’ve only had two seasons with a winning record in the last 10 years. It’s a new era in DC with Dan Quinn as their head coach.