Former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

Who will replace Dan Quinn following his departure from Cowboys?

By Clark Dalton | Last updated 2/1/24

The Dallas Cowboys must fill an enormous hole in their coaching staff after the Washington Commanders hired defensive coordinator Dan Quinn as their next head coach on Thursday.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, it remains to be seen if the 2021 Assistant Coach of the Year will bring Cowboys assistants to Washington, including defensive backs coach Al Harris or defensive line coach Aden Durde.

Schefter added each could be a DC candidate for the Commanders if Dallas grants permission to interview them.

One of the next questions will be whether Dan Quinn attempts to bring any other added Cowboys assistant coaches with him to Washington, such as defensive backs coach Al Harris or defensive line coach Aden Durde. Both could be defensive coordinator candidates if Dallas grants… https://t.co/jOOnXfLOPg
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) February 1, 2024

The Athletic's Jon Machota reported Harris, Durde and secondary coach Joe Whitt Jr. are potential in-house replacements. These options make sense for the Cowboys, as each has served under Quinn for the past three seasons.

However, none has DC or HC experience. Mike McCarthy — who's entering the final year of his contract — might prefer this. Machota noted other candidates on the Cowboys' radar as former Titans HC Mike Vrabel, former Vikings HC Mike Zimmer, former Commanders HC Ron Rivera and former Giants DC Wink Martindale.

Rivera seems the most likely choice if Dallas goes outside of the organization. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport also named him as a potential target. While he served as HC, the Commanders finished second in the league in yards and fourth in points allowed in 2020.

Regardless, Quinn's departure is a massive loss for Dallas. The Cowboys led the league in takeaways in 2021 and 2022 and were fifth in points allowed this past season.

He has a knack for developing star players, too, such as linebacker Micah Parsons, cornerback Trevon Diggs and cornerback DaRon Bland.

The Cowboys must ace their next hire to replace one of the top defensive minds in the league.

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