Dan Quinn sparked a defensive turnaround his first year in Dallas, generating attention from around the league. The Cowboys’ defensive coordinator was presented with the 2021 AP Assistant Coach of the Year Award at the NFL Honors show on Thursday night.
Dallas hired Quinn to replace Mike Nolan as the club’s new defensive coordinator on Jan. 11, 2021, and it paid dividends. He transformed the defense into not only a serviceable unit but a formidable one. The Cowboys improved from 28th in points allowed in 2020 (franchise-worst) to 7th his first year. In addition, the menacing crew led the league in takeaways with 34 and the Cowboys’ defense totaled 41 sacks, 26 interceptions, 13 forced fumbles and six defensive touchdowns.
By every statistical value, Quinn revamped the defense. The Cowboys jumped from 31st in run defense last year to 16th this year and the defensive efficiency (DVOA) improved from 23rd to second in the league in 2021.
It came as no surprise given the success to see Quinn’s name linked to potential head coaching vacancies, however, his loss would have obstructed the unit’s otherwise ascending progress over the previous year. Despite spending much of January interviewing for potential head coaching gigs around the NFL, the Cowboys ultimately succeeded in orchestrating his return for 2022.
Quinn’s energetic coaching style and hands-on approach resonated with players and materialized to on-field production. He is beloved for not only his ability to maximize player’s individual skills but for fostering relationships that mold character off-the-field.
“I think Q [Dan Quinn] just found a way to touch everybody in our defensive room’s heart,” Micah Parsons described. “I think he found a way for us all to want to fight for him, play for him. Some things are just more than football and I think that’s what Q represents. It’s never just football with Q. I think if he could, and he was 30 years younger, he would throw some pads on and fight with us every day of the week. I think that’s always special; he was a hands-on coach. He made sure you really understood everything that was going on.”
From getting in a three-point stance during minicamp to fill in at nose tackle or throwing on a helmet during practice to simulate the Patriots’ cut blocks, Quinn did not allow any restrictions to impede his instruction. In order to harness the potential of each player, Quinn was willing to give his all and in return – recaptured his love for coaching in Dallas.
Players thrived in his 4-3, hybrid sub package system. With the return of DeMarcus Lawrence, Randy Gregory and Neville Gallimore following injury, Quinn had more freedom in his pressures. He often unleashed five at the line of scrimmage on third down, creating favorable one-on-one pass rush situations. The rotational depth along the defensive line kept legs fresh and offenses off-balance. The pass rushers created opportunities for the back end, by forcing errant throws. Quinn oversaw dramatic production from Trevon Diggs in his second year, who led the league in interceptions with 11 and from free agent acquisition Jayron Kearse, who led the team in tackles with 101 (combined) – both contributing to the defense’s turnaround.
At the outset of the 2021 season after evaluating Micah Parsons during OTA’s/training camp, Quinn built the foundation of the defense and pressure packages around his rare combination of size, speed and power. The rookie sensation’s rare closing speed and initial quickness consistently harassed quarterbacks in the pocket. Additionally, Parsons was dropped in coverage, showcasing his sideline-to-sideline range and open-field athleticism to outpace runners to the sideline cutting off rushing lanes. Known as a dynamic downhill player at Penn State, predominately lining up at weakside linebacker in Brent Pry’s 4-3 base scheme, the words that became synonymous with the 12th overall selection were “pressure, pressure, pressure.” Quinn accelerated his growth in a system tailored to fit his unique traits.
For a historical rookie campaign, Parsons became the first player in franchise history to win NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year and the first unanimous victor of the award in NFL history. All 50 votes. Via Twitter, Parsons recognized the man who made the feat possible and congratulated him on winning Assistant Coach of the Year.
“Couldn’t have done it without this man! Congrats uncle Q! Love you man! We owe them something now…”
Assistant Coach of the Year is still in its initial stages, having only been created in 2014. Quinn becomes the fourth defensive coordinator to win it, joining Vic Fangio, Wade Phillips, and Todd Bowles.
After leading a historical defensive transformation in 2021, the foundation is built for another stellar campaign under the tutelage of Dan Quinn. The stage is set and expectations high.
