Waiting for Dan Quinn: The Atlanta Falcons story

The Atlanta Falcons are without a head coach, at least in an official capacity. Widespread reports have circulated that Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn has already been selected as the future choice, but with his team in the midst of a Super Bowl run, Quinn is essentially unavailable because of NFL rules.

Waiting. Waiting. Waiting.

In discussing this process with friends and colleagues, there is certainly a portion of the fan base that isn’t bothered by the fact that Atlanta does have a coach installed. “Quinn is already the choice” is the most popular sentiment, but with weeks passing between the final head coaching hires elsewhere, that doesn’t always hold water.

The 2014 season wasn’t a lot of fun for Falcons fans or, frankly, those that cover this team. Mike Smith was a lame duck from the midway point of the season, there were high-profile collapses, and in the same breath, explosive success seemed to be sparse. Of course, that was the backdrop for the team in parting ways with Smith after the season, but for a franchise that has seemed directionless since about Week 8, it isn’t exactly encouraging for the team’s most high profile position to be twisting in the wind.

Kyle Shanahan is on board, lending further credence to Dan Quinn as a slam dunk hire, and that is something to grasp on to for those in need. Shanahan almost certainly would not have been my choice for the job, but he is an experienced coach with success on his resume, and there are worse choices out there.

Removing Shanahan from the equation, though, brings a lot of questions. Who is “leading” the coaching staff in off-season activities? The front office is almost definitely in draft and free agency mode at this point, but given the rudderless feeling of watching Thomas Dimitroff and Scott Pioli scrap for input, I would certainly prefer to have a voice on the coaching staff in the room.

Enter Dan Quinn.

Perhaps part of this uneasiness about Quinn and the delayed hire comes from the fact that he isn’t a choice that excites me on the whole. Pete Carroll will always be credited with the schemes in Seattle, the personnel is leaps and bounds better than what he will have to mold in Atlanta, and Dan Quinn isn’t someone who has made a visible splash to the point where the more casual fan can jump on board.

Dan Quinn is a good defensive football coach. Honestly, I’m not worried about that.

In the same breath, the waiting period is too long for my liking, and we have at least 10 days to go. The Atlanta Falcons need a voice and some sort of stability. He may be a fantastic head coach, but I wish he was available about three weeks ago.