The search for a new head coach started early in Los Angeles as both head coach Brandon Staley and GM Tom Telesco were fired by the LA Chargers following the team's historic 63-21 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. With the move official, Chargers fans have started a holiday season wish list of coaches for the team to hire.
There is a wide range of names that interest different portions of the fanbase. Some fans want to see the team go out and make the splashy hire by bringing in either Bill Belichick or Jim Harbaugh. Some fans understand how far-fetched that is, or are against the candidates altogether, and want the team to jump on the hottest offensive coordinator on the market, Ben Johnson.
Then there is the portion of the fanbase that understands that Belichick and Harbaugh are probably too far-fetched but also do not want another first-time head coach. Those fans are looking at Dan Quinn as the potential hire, especially after what he has done with the Dallas Cowboys defense.
We have said before here at Bolt Beat that Quinn would be a bad hire and with Chargers fans watching on Sunday, he may have proven that point. Quinn's defense allowed 31 points to the Buffalo Bills in what was a blowout loss for the Dallas Cowboys.
Cowboys' blowout loss should push Chargers away from Dan Quinn
The logic for bringing in Quinn makes sense on paper. He has led one of the best defenses in football over the last two years and has head coaching experience. He also coached alongside Kellen Moore in Dallas, so the Chargers could theoretically retain Moore as the offensive coordinator and keep Herbert from making yet another scheme change in his NFL career.
But that logic overlooks a couple of problems. As good as Quinn's defense has been in Dallas, he has also done so with some of the best players in the sport. Remember who else had one of the best defenses in the sport as a coordinator because he had star power like Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald? Brandon Staley.
Quinn hasn't shown the ability to coach up a defense when his star players aren't making plays. Sunday was a very small example of that, as the Bills just pounded the ball down Dallas' throat and Quinn did not make any adjustments. Buffalo didn't allow the Dallas defense to win with takeaways, and that in turn led to a relatively easy day offensively.
In his five full seasons as head coach Quinn only had one defense in the top 10. He had several in the bottom 10. He is a lifetime .500 coach (43-42) and is responsible for the worst loss in NFL history in the Super Bowl to the New England Patriots.
When Kyle Shanahan wasn't around to call the offense Quinn's teams got worse. Quinn was 19-13 when Shanahan was his offensive coordinator and was 24-29 without him. In 2018, 2019 and even in 2020, his Falcons teams blew opportunities like only the Chargers know how to.
It would definitely be an on-brand hire for the Chargers to hire a great coordinator who has a mediocre past as a head coach and has a track record of blowing games. Hopefully, Sunday's defensive stinker and any ensuing bad performances will push the Spanos family away.