4:19pm: The Falcons have officially hired Quinn, according to a press release from the team.
“I am grateful for this opportunity, and I am excited to be the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons,” Quinn said in a statement. “This felt like the right fit from the beginning, and I want to thank Mr. Blank for his resolve as this was an extended and complicated process. My goal is to build upon the foundation that has been laid here and to play a physical brand of football as we build a championship caliber team.”
8:26am: With the Super Bowl over, the Falcons and Dan Quinn have officially come to terms on their long-anticipated agreement that will make Quinn the team’s new head coach, reports Adam Schefter of ESPN.com (via Twitter). According to Schefter, Quinn and the Falcons have agreed to a five-year contract.
It was reported over a week ago that Quinn and the Falcons had a handshake agreement in place, which could only be formally finalized after the Seahawks played in the Super Bowl. A former defensive line coach, Quinn has led the league’s top defense in Seattle in each of the last two seasons as the club’s defensive coordinator. While his stint with the Seahawks had an unfortunate ending, the 44-year-old is viewed as a strong head coaching candidate, having interviewed with several teams since the regular season ended.
With an official press conference to announce Quinn’s hiring expected to happen on Tuesday, the former Seahawks defensive coordinator can shift his focus to completing his staff in Atlanta. Kyle Shanahan is already lined up as the team’s offensive coordinator, and Raheem Morris is joining the club on the defensive side, though not in the coordinator role.
Since Quinn is expected to have plenty of input on the defensive play-calling, it’s not clear if the Falcons will bring in an official DC to work with Quinn and Morris. If they do, Seahawks defensive backs coach Kris Richard is a candidate to make the move from the Seahawks to the Falcons as well.