When the Washington Commanders were in the middle of their search for a new head coach, and analysts weighed the positives and negatives of each potential candidate, one thing stood out about Dan Quinn.
Most everyone believed Quinn could put together a quality coaching staff.
Quinn got the job, and the day after Washington officially announced his hiring, his first staff hire was revealed: Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury.
Kingsbury, the former head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, spent the 2023 season as an analyst for the UCLA Trojans. He interviewed for the offensive coordinator positions with the Las Vegas Raiders and Chicago Bears.
Around the NFL, it was viewed as an impressive get for Quinn. Shortly after, Quinn hired former Cowboys secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. as his defensive coordinator. Whitt was one of the finalists in Dallas to replace Quinn but chose Washington instead of formally interviewing with the Cowboys.
On Thursday, Quinn continued to add to his staff by hiring former Eagles offensive coordinator Brian Johnson in a prominent role. The Commanders also added former Raiders and Packers assistant Jason Simmons as the defensive pass-game coordinator.
The hits kept coming on Friday when it was revealed Washington was expected to hire Larry Izzo as special teams coordinator. A former Pro Bowl player, Izzo has been outstanding, leading the Seahawks’ special teams for the past three seasons.
After Izzo’s potential agreement, Quinn has unofficially hired seven assistant coaches. He has several other positions to fill, but he doesn’t believe that will be a problem.
In an appearance on “The Chris Russell Show” on Team 980, Quinn said others want to be on his coaching staff.
“There are people that really, really want to be here,” Quinn said. “And that should speak to where this organization is headed and what’s going down because people feel that energy that’s going to come on. So, behind the scenes, you and the fans would be pumped to know that people are really pushing to be a part of this.”
Quinn’s hires thus far prove he’s correct. Former head coach Ron Rivera often hired his buddies, while Quinn is going after the best.
The times have indeed changed.