The Seattle Seahawks are taking the next steps in deciding who will be the man to supplant Pete Carroll as their next head coach.
According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, Las Vegas Raiders defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, Los Angeles Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and New York Giants offensive coordinator Mike Kafka are expected to receive second interviews this week.
Quinn is the headliner, with the 53-year-old having been a head coach most recently than any other candidate mentioned. He has served as Cowboys defensive coordinator for the past three seasons. Dallas’ defense took a big jump in 2023, finishing as the No. 5 ranked unit in the league.
Prior to joining the Cowboys, Quinn spent five plus seasons as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Quinn went 43-42, leading Atlanta to a Super Bowl defeat in 2016. The Falcons relieved him of his duties after an 0-5 start to the 2020 season. Quinn famously coached the “Legion of Boom” defense in Seattle, helping lead the Seahawks to a Super Bowl victory in 2013. Quinn turned down head coaching opportunities last offseason in favor of returning to the Cowboys this season. He recently discussed the buzz surrounding him as a head coaching candidate this time around.
Dan Quinn, Ejiro Evero earn head coaching interviews with Seahawks
“I think it’s important to know how to compartmentalize,” Quinn said, via the team’s website. “Fortunately for me in that space, any preparation you would do on that is done over the summertime. If and when that time gets called, I would certainly be ready to discuss that at a moment’s notice. It’s pretty easy these days to compartmentalize. Quite honestly, the guys that I’m able to coach are a big reason why I wanted to be back here, so I’m not gonna let that moment miss one second.”
“I didn’t want to see anybody else coaching these guys, and there was unfinished business in my mind. That was a big reason for me knowing that I had unfinished business with them, and I wanted to see that through as much as I could. I absolutely feel that way again. It’s easy to compartmentalize when you stay here now. I live my life in that space anyway, so it’s not as complicated as you might think.”
Evero is a hot candidate for multiple teams given his success in Carolina this past season and with the Denver Broncos in 2022. The Panthers, despite finishing last in the NFL, owned the league’s fourth ranked defense, surrendering 293.9 yards per game. The Broncos wrapped up the 2022 campaign as the league’s seventh ranked defense under Evero.
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