4 Head Coaches the Cowboys Can Target if Mike McCarthy is Fired

2. Dan Quinn

Sometimes some of the better head coach candidates come from within, which could wind up being the case with Dan Quinn.

The 53-year-old defensive coordinator joined the Cowboys in 2021 as a part of McCarthy's coaching staff after spending parts of six seasons as the Atlanta Falcons HC. Since adding Quinn to the staff, Dallas has finished with a top-seven scoring defense in each of the last three seasons.

With Quinn's reputation as a defensive mastermind growing, his name consistently comes up any time a team is searching for a new head coach. Although he's declined multiple offers over the years, one has to wonder just how much longer the cycle continues before he's ready to return to an HC gig.

If McCarthy gets fired, one has to assume that Quinn will be one of the top candidates to replace him. On Jan. 9, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that "the Cowboys do not want to lose" their DC, leaving many to wonder how far the franchise will go to retain his services. Perhaps the HC title could do the trick?

Besides, going with Quinn would give the players a sense of familiarity as opposed to a new coach who must bond with the roster from scratch. In a sport where chemistry is extremely important, there might not be a more suited candidate than the 2021 NFL Assistant Coach of the Year.

With that being said, the Cowboys may want to act fast. According to NFL insider Albert Breer, Quinn has at least four head coaching interviews lined up for the next week.