Why Commanders Reportedly Chose Dan Quinn Over Bill Belichick

This year’s head coaching cycle concluded Thursday when Dan Quinn reportedly was hired as Washington Commanders head coach, which left Bill Belichick without a new home.

The former New England Patriots head coach parted ways with the organization, and it was believed he would garner massive interest. The Atlanta Falcons were the only team to pursue the 71-year-old, but despite two interviews, they chose to hire Raheem Morris.

Washington reportedly “considered” Belichick, but it felt the former Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator was a better fit. ESPN’s Adam Schefter was on the “Pat McAfee Show” and gave more insight into the Commanders’ decision.

“There are a few things to consider here,” Schefter said. “I think first and foremost, they had the GM that they wanted. They got the guy they wanted right away, Adam Peters, and hired him out of the box. That was something that was important to them, and they got it done. And I think they were of the mind that in a perfect world, they weren’t going to be pairing a first-time GM with a first-time head coach. So Dan Quinn checks the boxes there in that regard. The other thing is when these organizations are going through the hiring process, they make a lot of calls and they get a lot of calls from a lot of people. … I know the Commanders felt like they got more calls and more texts unsolicited about Dan Quinn with positive messages from people then they got from any other candidate. And that’s just the way it kind of went.

“Now, that’s not why he got the job, but it sure was comforting and reassuring that they felt like they were getting a guy that is high energy, that’s upbeat, that’s positive. It probably doesn’t hurt that you’re weakening a team within the division, though I don’t believe that to be a driving force or primary factor in why they hired Dan Quinn. They hired Dan Quinn because they believe in him as a leader. They believe in him as a man. They believe that other people are spot-on in what they say about Dan Quinn, who had been a finalist for other head coaching jobs. The board didn’t just fall his way in recent years, but they feel like they got a whole energetic, upbeat, positive guy stepping into Washington and to try to help lead that team into the future.”

Those qualifications might not match Belichick, whom people question whether or not still can relate to modern players. There reportedly was concern Belichick would bring in his own people and would want full control of a franchise, so that might also have been a factor in the Commanders’ decision.

What comes next for Belichick is up to the future Pro Football Hall of Famer. He certainly would excel in a broadcasting career, but he also might choose to take a year off after coaching for so long.