NFL fans thought the head coaching cycle was crazy when names like Bill Belichick and Jim Harbaugh were tied to the open LA Chargers head coaching job. That was only the beginning as this year's cycle is proving to be one of the most surprising in recent memory.
Long-time Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is stepping away from his head coaching duties. Nobody saw this coming considering Carroll had been with the team for 14 years, won the Super Bowl, and had a lifetime .606 winning percentage.
Carroll doesn't suddenly leapfrog other Chargers head coach candidates as he is not a candidate at all. The Seahawks announced that Carroll is staying with the organization in an advisor capacity, which indicates that he might be retiring from coaching altogether. He is 72 years old, after all.
While this move doesn't give the Chargers a fresh new head coaching candidate, it might take one of the more concerning candidates off the table as there is an obvious favorite for the now-vacant Seahawks coaching job.
#Cowboys DC Dan Quinn would quickly be considered a strong candidate to replace Pete Carroll, who now exits as HC.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 10, 2024
Seahawks may save the Chargers from hiring Dan Quinn
Dan Quinn has been excellent as the defensive coordinator of the Dallas Cowboys and has emerged as one of the most prominent names in the Chargers' head coaching cycle. Many viewed Quinn as the most likely fallback plan for Jim Harbaugh because of his coaching experience and familiarity with Kellen Moore.
While Quinn has been undeniably great as a coordinator, his tenure with the Atlanta Falcons is concerning. He is a lifetime .500 head coach who has a great track record as a defensive coordinator that does not translate when he is promoted. When Quinn was in Atlanta, the Falcons had just one top-10 defense and multiple bottom-10 defenses.
Quinn didn't have much success without Kyle Shanahan calling the offense and he has the worst loss in the history of the sport under his belt. So the Chargers would be firing one lifetime .500 head coach who couldn't translate from being a great DC to a head coach with an ugly playoff loss under his belt only to hire someone with the same traits.
That is the last thing the Chargers need. Meanwhile, Seattle would have the opportunity to reunite with a beloved former defensive coordinator who was calling the shots during the Legion of Boom era, which might be the best era in franchise history.
There is an existing connection to the organization, to Carroll and to the fanbase. It would be a great feel-good story for Quinn, one that could overrule him coming to a Chargers job that is better since it has a franchise QB attached to it.
Let Quinn go coach the Seahawks and if it works out that will be great for him and the team. Quinn might be a great fit for the Seahawks but he is not a great fit for the Chargers.