Dan Quinn Coach Interviews: Cowboys Playoffs Distraction?

FRISCO - Dan Quinn is nothing if not devoted to "being where my feet are.''

But the NFL rules have set things up so he in theory has one foot at The Star ...

And a second foot in Denver. Or Indianapolis. Or wherever.

The Dallas Cowboys exorcized demons on Monday night by beating Tom Brady for the first time ever and winning a road playoff game for the first time since the 1992 season. And now for Dallas to advance beyond the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday afternoon, they'll need a performance equal to, if not better than, the win over the Bucs.

Yet in the middle of all the preparation, defensive coordinator Quinn is being considered for head coaching positions with other teams, and scheduling interviews.

So far the Colts and Broncos have come calling, and more could show interest, and this all leads the question: How can Quinn focus on engineering a defense to stop Brock Purdy and the 49ers when his future is at a crossroads?

Our Mike Fisher has reported that the Quinn interview with the Broncos slated for Friday doesn't mean he will travel to Denver; more logically, as was the case a year ago, Denver bosses will bring the visit to DFW.

That helps. But it doesn't help enough.

Quinn labored away as an assistant coach at the collegiate and pro levels for 20 years before being named head coach of the Atlanta Falcons before the 2015 season.

In 2016 Quinn's Falcons famously blew a 21-3 halftime lead and 28-3 third-quarter lead to Tom Brady and the Patriots in Super Bowl LI, and he never duplicated the success of that season in Atlanta. He was fired in 2020.

In 2021 he was hired as the Cowboys' defensive coordinator and led an immediate turnaround of a defense that was historically bad the year prior, to one of the league's best. He was already in the discussion for open head coaching positions.

It's naturally every coach's goal to be a head coach, and Quinn should be no different. And now he'll no doubt be offered a second chance to be successful.

Yes, in the middle of preparation for the biggest game of his career in Dallas, he's supposed to consider, juggle, balance, these jobs and his future?

This is the NFL's fault, as the rules allow coaches to be interviewed before their season is over with their current team. That can create split loyalties and create distractions.

How can the league fix it? By not allowing interviews until after the Super Bowl.

Quinn is a professional, and no one would question his work ethic. But the current NFL rules regarding coaching interviews are a natural distraction, and Cowboys fans can only hope Quinn's mind - not to mention his feet - stays in his present, not his future.

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