‘Without Him, I Wouldn’t Be Here': How Dan Quinn Continues to Leave Indirect Imprint on Seahawks’ Defense

Exactly a decade before Mike Macdonald arrived as the franchise’s ninth head coach and quickly started assembling his own defensive juggernaut, the Seattle Seahawks built one of the most dominant defenses in NFL history, reaching back-to-back Super Bowls behind the vaunted “Legion of Boom” unit in 2013 and 2014.

Sporting the title of head coach, Pete Carroll deservedly received much of the credit for rapidly rebuilding a once-porous defense into one that likely will have multiple Hall of Famers in Canton down the road. General manager John Schneider also received deserved acclaim for reeling in outstanding draft classes from 2010 to 2012 to secure the foundation of a future Lombardi Trophy winner.

But behind the scenes, after replacing Gus Bradley in 2013, Dan Quinn emerged as the schematic architect of Seattle’s No. 1 ranked scoring defense, calling the plays on the sideline and maximizing on the team’s immense talent. Under his guidance, the Seahawks allowed under 16 points per game in his two seasons as defensive coordinator, carrying the team to consecutive Super Bowl appearances and using that success as the catapult into his first head coaching gig in Atlanta.

Now the head man for the Commanders and entering his third season with the franchise, Quinn hasn’t been employed by the Seahawks for a dozen seasons, far removed from his brief tenure as Carroll’s defensive play caller. Still, in an indirect, roundabout way, his presence has had a lingering impact on the team’s coaching staff, including current defensive coordinator Aden Durde getting his start working for Quinn with the Falcons and eventually teaming back up with him in Dallas, as well as the roster.