Houston Texans should interview Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn for head coach vacancy

The Houston Texans need a head coach who has had past success, and Dan Quinn might be that coach.

For the second straight year, the Houston Texans are doing the same two things simultaneously, which are watching the NFL Playoffs and searching for their next head coach. After firing David Culley after one season as the head coach, general manager Nick Caserio sees his team still in the early stages of a rebuild.

This past season – which the Texans had a second consecutive four wins – felt like a “let’s get through this” type of deal, though the plus was the younger players stood out, and the team found a diamond in the rough in Kamu Grugier-Hill on a one-year deal.

Other than that, the Texans are basically starting over once again in 2022, and it will start with the hiring of a new head coach. The search is in the early stages, as the firing of Culley happened this past Thursday, and the Texans have started the interview process, and one of the coaches that needs interviewed before a decision is made is Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.

Houston will have to wait a little as the Cowboys are playing an NFC Wild Card game on Sunday against the San Francisco 49ers, but what Quinn’s defense has done in improving Dallas can’t go unnoticed, and it won’t hurt the Texans to at least see if they can interview him once the Cowboys’ season is over.

Texans: Quinn has taken a team to the Super Bowl; rebuild Cowboys defense

Even with Dan Quinn’s current success with his 4-3 base defense with the Dallas Cowboys, he’s also had positives as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, where he’s led them to the Super Bowl, though a loss to the New England Patriots.

Quinn had a winning record with the Falcons, finishing with a 43-42 record in the regular season from 2015-20. Quinn’s first three seasons with the Falcons saw his teams go 8-8, 11-5 and 10-6, then those seasons were followed by consecutive seasons of 7-9 and then 0-5 in ’20 before he was fired by the Falcons.

Atlanta never recovered from the Super Bowl loss to New England, but this season with the Cowboys Quinn has a renewed energy, and his Dallas defense ranked seventh in points allowed (19.9 points per game allowed), plus his defense totaled 41 sacks and 13 forced fumbles, eight fumble recoveries, and an NFL-best 26 interceptions.

The Texans’ defense finished with 17 interceptions, 16 forced fumbles, 32 sacks and 384.4 yards per game allowed in ’21.

Quinn as the Texans head coach might work as a new situation as the man in charge would be good for Quinn, and he’s proven he’s still able to coach as that has been the case with the Cowboys’ defense.

It wouldn’t hurt the Texans to take a flier on Quinn and see if he’s a fit for the franchise with the help the Texans need on defense, even though ’21 coordinator Lovie Smith is an excellent coach in his own right and a past Super Bowl head coach.

Quinn has momentum right now, has proven he can get the most from rookies and young players, and after seeing success with the Cowboys, players would want to join him wherever he gets his next chance at as a head coach … which could be with the Houston Texans.