The 'high floor' candidate for Titans head coach opening

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans have completed a virtual interview with a handful of candidates for the team's head coach position and are expected to have another series of interviews in the coming days. So far, Tennessee has expressed interest in 10 different coaches, each with a unique background and skillset. While I expect the Titans […]

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Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn at MetLife Stadium.
Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

NASHVILLE — The Tennessee Titans have completed a virtual interview with a handful of candidates for the team's head coach position and are expected to have another series of interviews in the coming days.

So far, Tennessee has expressed interest in 10 different coaches, each with a unique background and skillset. While I expect the Titans to aim for the "home run hire," one candidate sticks out as having the highest floor of the options.

Here's what you need to know and my thoughts on Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.


Dan Quinn – Cowboys Defensive Coordinator

After the Dallas Cowboys surrendered 48 points and got blown out by the Green Bay Packers during Super Wild Card Weekend, there may be a number of teams reconsidering their requests to interview Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn for a head coaching job.

Quinn is one of the most prominent "second chance" names in the NFL coaching carousel this offseason. There's a good reason for that. According to Mauricio Rodriguez of A to Z Sports Dallas, Quinn immediately turned a historically bad defense around when he arrived in 2021. "It was (Quinn) who quickly realized Micah Parsons' potential as an edge rusher and changed his position after the Cowboys picked him as an off-ball linebacker," writes Rodriguez. "He's implemented a modern, hybrid style of defense in Dallas that has blurred the lines between several positions like safety-linebacker and end-tackle on the defensive line."

The Cowboys have won 12 games and finished in the Top 10 in points allowed in all three seasons since Quinn took over as the defensive coordinator. Combining that with his prior head coaching experience and it's no wonder his name is coming up in offseason conversations.

Quinn was the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons from 2015-2020 and finished with a 43-42 regular season record and 3-2 record in the postseason. Quinn's Falcons made the playoffs twice during his tenure, including an appearance and historic collapse in Super Bowl LI.

For me, it's the head coaching experience and decades in the game that elevate Quinn over many of the other defensive names on the Titans' interview list. While my preference is still for the Titans to go with an offensive minded candidate, you could do worse than one of the game's most consistent defensive coordinators that has also been the head coach in a Super Bowl. 

I think Quinn has a high floor. Perhaps the highest floor of any of the names being considered by the Titans simply because he has done it before. At the very least, you know you're getting a coach capable of leading a winning team and calling an outstanding defense. Is that the best fit for the Titans? Not in my estimation. I'd rather they swing big on a younger coach with an offensive background to best help Will Levis develop. But I wouldn't be shocked if Quinn found success in his second head coaching stint.