The #49ers should look to replace Steve Wilks with one of these 10 candidates:
The 49ers on Wednesday added a box to their offseason checklist when they parted ways with defensive coordinator Steve Wilks. Filling that vacancy now becomes their top priority and it may be a huge key in helping the team get back to a Super Bowl after losing one – a nigh impossible feat.
Shanahan said the team will look at both internal and external candidates for the job, which leaves a massive pool to choose from. However, that pool will be narrowed by Shanahan’s defensive philosophy and what he’s expecting from his new DC.
Here are 10 candidates that the 49ers could (and probably should) look at:
Josh Harris talks about Dan Quinn’s ability to attract quality people to Washington.
It’s been a busy month for Washington Commanders owner Josh Harris. After firing head coach Ron Rivera last month, Harris announced an advisory committee to find Washington’s next general manager and head coach.
Harris said the organization’s search would be rapid but thorough. That proved true in the GM search, as Washington identified five candidates and completed the search within the week. The Commanders landed their top target, former 49ers assistant GM Adam Peters.
The head coaching search would be a bit different. There were more candidates, and the interview windows were different for teams still alive in the playoffs. That meant Washington would have to wait on most of its candidates.
There was an assumption by many that Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson was the top target. The Commanders have insisted otherwise, saying the process was open throughout. Ultimately, it didn’t matter as Johnson withdrew from consideration as Washington brass was on a plane to see him in Detroit.
In an interview with Chick Hernandez of WUSA9 in Washington, D.C., Harris was asked about Johnson and Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn.
“Yeah, the internet works up in the air,” Harris said with a smile when asked about learning of Johnson withdrawing his name from consideration before quickly turning his attention to finding the right coach.
The right coach for Washington was former Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.
“Listen, we, uh, identified Dan very early,” Harris said of Quinn. “I mean, you heard a lot of it up there in terms of his ability to lead, to motivate. There’s a small, as he was talking, I was thinking about the small fraternity of players, the small fraternity of coaches and to be elite, you’ve got to track elite people. Right. And so his ability to track those people really stood out to us.”
Harris then praised the connection between Peters and Quinn.
“So we identified him, and listen, there were a lot of qualified candidates who went through a very thorough process and, you know, we ended up with our guy,” Harris said.
Quinn’s ability to attract good people to work with him has already shown up on his coaching staff. The Commanders are building a high-quality staff, having landed Kliff Kingsbury (offensive coordinator), Joe Whitt Jr. (defensive coordinator), Larry Izzo (special teams coordinator), Ken Norton (linebackers), Brian Johnson (offensive assistant/title TBD), Jason Simmons (defensive pass game coordinator) and John Pagano (senior defensive assistant) with several openings remaining.
Harris or Washington do not care about the perception that Quinn wasn’t the top target. Fans shouldn’t either. Quinn looks to be a perfect fit with the Commanders, particularly with Peters, which is an important relationship.
“,” Harris told Chick Hernandez of WUSA9 in Washington, D.C. “
Dan Quinn thrilled to be the head coach of “such a storied franchise and fanbase.”
The Washington Commanders confirmed Dan Quinn as their new head coach on Saturday. Quinn was one of eight candidates to interview with Washington throughout its search process.
Quinn, who was head coach of the Atlanta Falcons for five-plus seasons, comes to Washington from the Dallas Cowboys. He spent the past three seasons in Dallas and immediately turned around the Cowboys’ defense. With him at the helm of its defense, Dallas finished in the top five of defensive DVOA in all three seasons.
“I am thrilled for the opportunity to become the next head coach of such a storied franchise and fanbase,” said Quinn. “Under the leadership of Josh Harris, the ownership group, and Adam Peters, we cannot wait to help usher in a new era of Washington Commanders football. The organization has an outstanding vision, and I’m honored to be a part of what’s next.”
Quinn also took time to thank his former employer.
“I want to thank Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones, Coach Mike McCarthy, and the entire Dallas Cowboys organization for the past three seasons. The players, coaching staff, and everyone across the organization became family in such a short time. We have a great task ahead of us, but the ownership group, Adam, and I are lockstep in putting in the work to achieve our goal: consistently competing for Super Bowls year in and year out.”
Next up for Quinn is completing his coaching staff. One of his top assistants in Dallas, Joe Whitt Jr., is expected to join him in Washington as the defensive coordinator. Interviews for offensive coordinator are underway, with Kliff Kingsbury and Brian Johnson among the names interested.
It took a couple of days, but the Washington Commanders finally confirmed Dan Quinn as their new head coach on Saturday.
The news broke of Quinn’s hiring on Thursday morning, two days after his second interview with the team. Quinn was one of eight coaches who interviewed with Washington.
“My partners and I entered this offseason intent on hiring elite candidates to shape the next chapter of Commanders football and I believe we did just that — first with Adam Peters and now by welcoming the highly respected Dan Quinn as our head coach,” Harris said in the statement. “Dan has rightfully earned a reputation as one of the NFL’s top defensive minds, building tough, explosive and dynamic teams that compete hard. But most importantly, he is an incredible leader who brings out the best in his players, coaches and staff. We heard that from everyone we spoke to throughout this process, and it was reaffirmed when we discussed with Dan our shared vision for building a winning franchise. By adding such a respected, accomplished and determined leader as head coach, we’ve taken another important step in our mission of delivering a championship-caliber team to our fans. I’m incredibly excited for our future and to welcome Dan and his wife, Stacey, to the Commanders’ family.”
New Washington general manager Adam Peters had the following to say regarding Quinn’s hiring.
“Leadership, great communication, being able to be honest, direct and up front…and they’re all intertwined,” Peters said. “You have to be very smart, you have to be very driven. There’s so many different qualities that make up a great head coach and a great leader, but really, it’s just about being a great person, a great human being that people will follow.”
Peters said at his introductory press conference that leadership was the No. 1 quality he was looking for in a head coach. Quinn brings that and more.
The Eagles went backward in 2023 with Johnson as offensive coordinator.
Saturday brought some news to the Washington Commanders’ search for a new offensive coordinator.
First, it was revealed that talks broke down between the Las Vegas Raiders and former Cardinals coach Kliff Kingsbury. Kingsbury had been expected to join Antonio Pierce’s staff as his new offensive coordinator.
This news isn’t likely to excite Washington fans, and for good reason. Johnson, 36, was with the Eagles for the past three seasons and received a promotion to OC last season after Shane Steichen left to take over as head coach of the Colts.
Philadelphia’s offense and quarterback Jalen Hurts took several steps backward in 2023 under Johnson’s leadership.
A former college quarterback at Utah, Johnson began his coaching career in 2010 at his alma mater.
Yet, those inside the NFL — coaches, executives, players and former players — praised the hire.
The final grades are in. All eight NFL head coaching vacancies were filled after the Washington Commanders hired former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn on Thursday.
However, Benjamin wasn’t a big fan of Washington hiring Quinn, giving them a “D+.”
Here are Benjamin’s thoughts:
Washington was right to part ways with Ron Rivera after four tough but ultimately middling seasons, but to go from one aging defensively minded retread to another is curious considering how forward-thinking the organization appeared to be, welcoming both new ownership and front-office leadership. Quinn oversaw an opportunistic “D” with the Cowboys, no doubt, and he’s approached the mountaintop before, taking the Falcons to the Super Bowl in 2016. He also went just 18-23 with zero playoff bids after that. Perhaps his experience will help ground a rebuilding team, but this hardly registers as an inspiring, innovative move.
Hey, at least it was a “D+” and not a “D.”
Here’s an interesting thought: Executives, coaches, players and former players around the NFL weighed in on Quinn’s hiring and loved the move for both sides. Quinn is much more respected than some realize. Is it recency bias due to Dallas’ blowout loss to Green Bay in the NFC wild-card round? Or is it because Washington hired him?
Also, Benjamin gave the Falcons a “B” for hiring Raheem Morris. Why the disparity? Quinn’s defenses in each of the past three seasons finished in the top five of defensive DVOA, per FTN. Morris, also hired in 2021 as the Rams’ defensive coordinator, oversaw units that finished third, 18th and 22nd in defensive DVOA during the same period.
Quinn is often called a retread. Morris is a retread, too, if we go by those terms. Quinn’s record in five-plus seasons as Atlanta’s head coach was 43-42. He also took his team to the Super Bowl. Morris was Tampa Bay’s head coach for three seasons and also had a stint as Atlanta’s interim coach in 2020 — replacing Quinn — and has a 21-38 record. Both have won Super Bowls as a defensive coordinator.
Morris deserved another opportunity. So did Quinn.
Why Quinn? Remember how new Washington general manager Adam Peters said leadership was the most critical attribute for the Commanders’ next head coach?
That’s Quinn.
Washington will introduce Quinn to everyone next week, but while we wait, here are five quick things to know about the Commanders’ new coach.
Logan Paulsen played for Dan Quinn and couldn’t be more excited that he’s Washington’s new coach.
Logan Paulsen played for Dan Quinn; he knows Dan Quinn, and he respects Dan Quinn.
Paulsen, a guest on the “Grant and Danny Show” (106.7 The Fan) Thursday, admitted he was excited about the prospect of Lions’ offensive coordinator Ben Johnson being hired by the Commanders. But Paulsen also quickly added, “But he’s a guy who wasn’t ready for this position (Commanders HC).”
“I also think it is important to note that just because you get a good coordinator in your building does not mean you will have a good head coach,” Paulsen declared. Paulsen then pointed to recently fired Chargers head coach Brandon Staley as an example of a guy who just never got it together to become a good head coach.
So why does Paulsen feel Quinn is a good HC hire for the Commanders? 1) “You are going to have a guy who understands the position. He has done this before.”
2) “He understands the (NFL) culture at the highest level. He understands the energy level required to come to work every day and why it is so important to play with that kind of energy and practice with that kind of energy.”
3) “His coaching tree is diverse and eclectic. He and Adam Peters’ connection with Kyle Shanahan makes me believe they will be able to find the offensive coach (coordinator). When he started in Atlanta, he made one of the best offensive coach hires in Kyle Shanahan from Cleveland. So, he understands the importance of that position.”
Finally, he was asked why Quinn would be more successful here than he was in Atlanta.
“Well, I really believe smart people learn more from their failures than they do from their successes. I think you can’t mature as a person, as a coach without that failure. I’m not sure he understands how critical having an elite coordinator is if he doesn’t have that two or three-year slide in Atlanta. I think he also understands how to discipline and motivate players while still maintaining those excellent relationships. That comes from that failure and I understand because he is a guy who has that growth mindset.”
Paulsen concluded, “I am not saying he is perfect. I am not saying he is the best candidate of all time in the history of the NFL. But I do think he is a good man who understands his weaknesses and is willing to grow. That is someone I want to bet on.”
Here are seven names who could be Washington’s new offensive coordinator. Some good, some bad here.
The Washington Commanders hired Dan Quinn as their new head coach on Thursday. While the move wasn’t popular with a large segment of Washington’s fan base, it was the first significant move from new general manager Adam Peters.
Quinn is a defensive-minded head coach, so who he hires as his offensive coordinator is critical. Many Washington fans wanted an offensive-minded head coach like Ben Johnson because the Commanders are expected to draft a quarterback at No. 2 overall in the 2024 NFL draft.
The prevailing thought is that an offensive-minded coach paired with a young quarterback is a recipe for success, but that’s not always true. Some believe that if a defensive-minded coach begins succeeding, other teams will poach the offensive coordinator. That is true, but that also indicates success. The key for teams hiring a defensive-minded head coach is to have a pipeline of sorts to replace the offensive coordinator.
In his opening press conference, Peters said leadership was the most important trait he desired. Quinn’s hiring is proof. Quinn is known as a great leader and teacher. When he was Atlanta’s head coach, he built a terrific coaching staff but didn’t have an answer for an offensive coordinator after losing Kyle Shanahan and Steve Sarkisian in back-to-back seasons.
If Quinn is to succeed in Washington, he must get this hire right. Here are seven potential offensive coordinators for Quinn.
Could Chip Kelly return to the NFL with the Commanders?
Could Chip Kelly be on his way back to the NFL?
According to multiple reports, Kelly interviewed with the Las Vegas Raiders to become their offensive coordinator. Las Vegas eventually chose former Cardinals head coach Kliff Kingsbury.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN is reporting that Commanders head coach Dan Quinn could be interested in speaking with Kelly about Washington’s offensive coordinator position.
UCLA head coach Chip Kelly is a potential candidate for #Commanders OC under new head coach Dan Quinn, per sources. Kelly, a two-time NFL head coach, is believed to have interest in returning to the league and Washington will consider talking with him.
Then there is this from Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports:
Raiders were one of those teams. Source with one team who interviewed Dan Quinn this cycle said Chip Kelly was considered by Quinn. https://t.co/wzLEl5DNEU
So, according to Jones, one of the teams that interviewed Quinn mentioned Kelly as a possible candidate for OC if he landed the head coaching position. Kelly rose to prominence at Oregon, coaching the Ducks to the BCS national championship game in the 2010 season. He was the Eagles’ head coach from 2013-2015 and the 49ers’ head coach for one season (2016). He’s been at UCLA since 2018 and reportedly wants to return to the NFL.
Kelly was a fascinating hire by Philadelphia in 2013. While it began well, with the Eagles going 10-6 in each of his first two seasons, things soured badly in 2015, and he was fired with one game remaining in the season.
The 49ers hired him in 2016, but San Francisco had a terrible roster, and he was fired after one 2-14 season.
Kelly is an innovative offensive coach whom other NFL coaches studied for years. He struggled at UCLA in his first three seasons but has turned the program around in recent years.
