Did the Washington Commanders make a good move when they hired Dan Quinn as their new head coach? Not according to Mark May.
May played with Washington from 1981-1990, winning two Super Bowls and three NFC Championships. He was one of the famed “Hogs,” the offensive line that helped anchor those great teams to three Super Bowls and four NFC championships from 1982-1991.
Scott Abraham of WJLA, Washington’s ABC affiliate, spoke to May about the decision. On multiple levels, we can confidently say that May was not happy. For starters, the man he wanted was Jim Harbaugh, now the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers who led Michigan to a national championship.
“The first thing I would have done, is I would have called Jim Harbaugh and his agent. The second thing I would have done, is called Jim Harbaugh and his agent. The third thing I would have done is got his butt in the building and not let him leave until he signed a contract. ‘This is what we’ve got to sell you. We’re one of the top teams in the NFL in salary cap. You can go out and get the players you want. We’re picking No. 2 in the Draft. We might be able to switch it to No. 1 with Chicago and give them what they want, you might get Caleb Williams.’
“Did they do that? Heck no. They sat on their hands. And look what they end up with. Bottom of the heap. You know, I would have gone with Mike Vrabel if you want to go defensive coach. At least he’s a guy that has been a head coach recently.”
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Quinn has been a head coach relatively recently. He led the Atlanta Falcons from 2015-2020, most notably leading them to an NFC Championship in 2016. He’s spent the last three years as the defensive coordinator of Washington’s greatest rival, the Dallas Cowboys. And while the Cowboys had some defensive success under Quinn, the playoff blowout to the Green Bay Packers seemed to greatly hinder his chances of getting a head coaching job.
Depending on whether one counts the Las Vegas Raiders, who decided to retain interim coach Antonio Pierce, the Commanders were one of either seven or eight teams looking for a new head coach this offseason. They were the last of that group to make the hire. So, it’s easy to see why May felt that they “sat on their hands”
Hiring Quinn was for all intents and purposes, the first major move that the Josh Harris-led ownership group made after buying the team prior to the 2023 season. And while Harris is still early in his tenure as the franchise’s owner, he’s certainly already earned one prominent critic.
[Scott Abraham on Twitter/X, Photo Credit: WJLA]
