FRISCO, Texas- Dan Quinn’s efforts in Dallas did not go unnoticed in the NFL.
The Cowboys’ defensive coordinator received the 2021 AP Assistant Coach of the Year award Thursday night at NFL Honors, the league’s annual postseason awards show.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone who followed the Cowboys last year. The Cowboys hired Quinn to replace Mike Nolan as their defensive coordinator on Jan. 11, 2021, and saw the benefits immediately.
Having revamped the Cowboys’ defense with free-agent signings like Jayron Kearse and Damontae Kazee, not to mention the selection of Micah Parsons with the 12th overall pick in the NFL draft, the change was easy to see.
By every conceivable measure, Quinn’s unit reversed its fortunes in 2021. From last year to this year, the Cowboys improved from 28th to 7th in defense in points allowed and jumped from 31st to 16th in rushing defense. His defensive efficiency, or DVOA, as measured by FootballOutsiders, improved from 23rd to second in the entire league.
Perhaps most importantly, the Cowboys led the league with 34 turnovers, led by Trevon Diggs’ 11 interceptions, the best mark in the NFL.
It was an impressive enough coaching job that Quinn, just a year after being fired as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, received a lot of interest for other head coaching openings.
Quinn spent much of January interviewing for NFL head coaching jobs, before the Cowboys finally orchestrated his return for a second season as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator.
“It was a huge blow to bring Quinn here. If we can get the continuity that we want there, it will be huge and it will give us the best opportunity,” Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones said last week at the Senior Bowl.
Assistant Coach of the Year is one of the newest awards in the NFL, having only been around since 2014. Quinn becomes the fourth defensive coordinator to win it, joining Vic Fangio, Wade Phillips and Todd Bowles. Last year’s winner was Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator Brian Daboll, who was recently named the head coach of the New York Giants.
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Dan Quinn wins Assistant Coach of the Year award