Dan Quinn tells teams he’s staying as Cowboys defensive coordinator, not seeking head coaching jobs

Perhaps the biggest domino of the Dallas Cowboys’ offseason dropped Thursday afternoon.

Defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, after interviewing for three head coach openings, will return to Dallas for a third season, head coach Mike McCarthy confirmed to reporters

Quinn had interviewed for the Denver Broncos, Arizona Cardinals and Indianapolis Colts’ head coaching vacancies. The Cowboys sought his return, though NFL teams cannot block moves to another franchise that qualify as a promotion

Quinn spearheaded a Cowboys defense that led the league in takeaways for consecutive seasons, the first unit to retain that crown since the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1970s.

The Cowboys ranked fifth in points allowed in 2021 after ranking seventh in 2020, Quinn’s inaugural season. Dallas’ 2019 unit ranked 28th.

In their divisional-round loss to the San Francisco 49ers, the Cowboys defense held the 49ers to 19 points, and quarterback Brock Purdy said this week Dallas was the best defense he had faced.

McCarthy said Thursday that Cowboys team owner Jerry Jones told him this week that he hoped McCarthy could coach Dallas as long as franchise legend Tom Landry.

The head coach declined to give the same vote of confidence to offensive coordinator Kellen Moore when asked.

But one major coaching decision appears to be set. And Cowboys defenders will undoubtedly celebrate it.

This developing story will be updated.