Commanders head coach Dan Quinn Brooke Sutton/GettyImages

Dan Quinn drops one quote that proves Commanders are built to win

Originally posted on Riggo's Rag | By Ryan McCafferty | Last updated Aug 2, 2025 10:30 AM ET

When the Washington Commanders hired Dan Quinn as head coach, the move was not initially met with rave reviews.

He was considered a low-upside retread, no different than his predecessor, Ron Rivera, in that he had taken his previous team to a Super Bowl but ultimately couldn't keep up with the NFL's ever-changing landscape. But if the Commanders' NFC Championship game appearance in Year 1 was any indication, they did pretty well.

The best part? Quinn isn't satisfied just yet. And it's his hard-nosed intensity that proves he's exactly what Washington needs.

Dan Quinn isn't letting the Commanders take their foot off the gas

Quinn made his intentions clear during a conversation with Kay Adams from the Up and Adams Show. The Commanders may have reached their final four last season, but the mentality hasn't changed.

Dan Quinn’s not building a team for everyone — he’s building one for the guys who want to get better every single day

Says the team from the end of the season should "kick the you-know-what out of the team today" @heykayadams | @Commanders #RaiseHail pic.twitter.com/ve9jbjnBPl
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) July 31, 2025

In the modern sports world of player empowerment, the archetype of an ideal head coach has shifted. The hurly-burly leaders of men have been phased out for younger, brainier guys who can crunch numbers and draw up cute plays, while being more of a friend to their players than an authority figure.

They're called players' coaches.

In that regard, Quinn is the rare breed of a bench boss who combines the old-school with the new. He utilizes analytics as much as anyone in the game. He makes himself relatable to his pupils, giving them a voice in the locker room while motivating them with an energy that's encouraging rather than degrading.

He also keeps standards high and has no tolerance for softness or laziness.

If you're going to play for Quinn, you'd better be fully committed to the grind. You'd better be of the mindset that good enough is never good enough — there is always still room for improvement.

His comments on Jayden Daniels' Year 2 expectations at the start of training camp emphasize this. For as outstanding as he was to kick start his career, there's still plenty more he needs to work on this season.

It's the Quinn mantra: Get better every day.

No nonsense, no funny business. It's what makes him such an effective leader. It's also the definition of true player empowerment.

In the NFL or any other sport, a coach's job isn't to make his players feel comfortable. It's to push them, to challenge them, to help them grow. And where all of that is concerned, Washington couldn't be luckier to have Quinn.