Tag: Jim Harbaugh Chargers HC

Dan Quinn was always Adam Peters’ first choice for Commanders

The owner confirms Quinn was always the guy Adam Peters wanted.

Happy Anniversary, Commanders fans! Yes, it’s an anniversary worth celebrating. The Harris Ownership Group rescued the organization and the fan base from the Snyder regime (1999-2023) one year ago, on July 20, 2023.

Mark Ein, in an appearance with Kevin Sheehan on his podcast Saturday, stated that there were good people in the organization when the purchase was made. However, you still need some fresh people and fresh energy to come into a situation like that.

Adam Peters was considered the top candidate for a GM job this offseason. So Josh Harris pursued Peters, and Peters wanted to come here. It was done quickly.

Many will recall Ben Johnson as the Commanders’ front-runner for the head coaching job, with Mike Macdonald as the clear second choice.

You recall the Commanders’ brass en route to Detroit to interview the Lions’ OC Ben Johnson and DC Aaron Glenn. Then, they were going to interview Macdonald a second time as well. But suddenly, neither were coming to Ashburn to take the job.

Consequently, the fan base was discouraged and frustrated that the Commanders were the last team standing, having to settle for a candidate other hiring teams rejected.

But Ein refutes that narrative, saying, “He (Quinn) was Adam’s first choice from the beginning. He was the person he wanted. Because he (Peters) felt Quinn paired with him was the best combination. Adam never waivered from thinking Dan was the person he wanted.”

“I didn’t interview him, so I didn’t meet him. But just talking to Josh and the guys while they were doing it, that was the thing from the first interview. If you want to transform a culture, there’s not going to be anyone better than Dan Quinn. If you want to inject energy into an organization, there is no one better than Dan Quinn. And he is (thus far) proving that to be the case.”

Quinn (age 53) brings something to the market that only one new coach (Jim Harbaugh) brings. Some very high winning success as an NFL head coach. Quinn was the defensive coordinator in Seattle for two seasons 2013-14 before moving to Atlanta, where he was head coach from 2015-20, winning the NFC Title before losing in the Super Bowl.

Quinn, the defensive coordinator for the last three seasons in Dallas (2021-23), was voted the AP Assistant Coach of the Year for 2021.

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn or the Chargers Jim Harbaugh?

Which head coach is most likely to help his team the most in 2024?

Which head coach in a new spot is most likely to prop up their new team?

That was the question Rich Eisen asked on the “Rich Eisen Show” a couple of days ago. His two choices were Jim Harbaugh (L.A. Chargers) and Dan Quinn (Washington Commanders).

Eisen: “How dare you? How dare you even give me a question like that.”

Co-host T.J. Jefferson, in the background, was heard to say, “I know what Rich is going to say. He’s going to say, ‘Dan Quinn’.”

Eisen: “No, I am not. Come on, one guy has a history of plus and up. I don’t know what the Falcons were in Dan Quinn’s first year. I doubt it was plus seven.”

Co-host Chris Brockman chided in, “I mean, they were up 28-3 in the Super Bowl.”

Eisen: “Whatever. One guy has Justin Herbert, and the other guy has a rookie quarterback. Just that alone (pause). He’s got a rookie quarterback. And you (Brockman) already said they (Commanders) are only 31 in your power rankings. Jim Harbaugh, please. What else?”

Now, on the surface, Commanders fans may view our relaying this to you as a negative dumping of Dan Quinn.

Not at all. Commanders Wire notices that Dan Quinn has already been mentioned in this type of conversation this offseason.

You see, doesn’t this convey that seeing how bad the Commanders were in 2023, losing their last eight straight, losing 13 of their last 15, while getting absolutely blown out and embarrassed several times, NFL media is thinking much higher for 2024?

Doesn’t this reveal another example of NFL media realizing that with Dan Snyder and the Ron Rivera era now in the rearview mirror, Josh Harris, Adam Peters, Dan Quinn, and Jayden Daniels are being believed in to turn things around in 2024?

Outsiders are looking at the Commanders much more positively for 2024.