Dan Quinn’s journey to the top of the NFL coaching ranks is a highlight reel of learning from the best. Like a quarterback reading the defense, Quinn absorbed game-changing wisdom from two of football’s greatest minds: Nick Saban and Pete Carroll. As he puts it per the Athletic, working under Saban at the Miami Dolphins was “like going to get your PhD in football.”

Once again the HC is all praises for these legends as he expressed on the Kaplan and Crew podcast. He said, “I’ve been around some really good coaches. I was around Nick Saban and Pete Carroll both, you know, within two years of one another.” This one-two punch of coaching brilliance wasn’t just a footnote in Quinn’s career playbook – it was the foundation for his future success and a masterclass in leadership that shaped his approach to running a team.

He took the best from both coaches and drew up his own game plan. “The thing I learned was like they were both really philosophically ironed out,” Quinn explained to Kaplan. “You walk into the building, you knew exactly how you got it on. They just did it in entirely different ways.” This isn’t the only time the Commanders’ coach admitted to looking up to the legendary coaches for guidance.

According to the Atlantic, Quinn has admired Saban’s mindset. He once said, “I always felt like he was never rushed. He just stayed in rhythm, and that’s not an easy skill to have. I just saw it over and over again. He always had a plan for how to do it. I learned a lot from him.” Probably, an ideology he has tried to imbibe in his present mentorship for the Commanders.

Quinn, prior to Washington, hasn’t had bad numbers. During his time with the Cowboys, he was named Assistant Coach of the Year by the Associated Press in 2021. As a head coach for the Falcons (2015-2020), he became the leading figure as the team appeared in Super Bowl LI and the NFC Divisional Round in 2017. His leadership helped the Falcons gain the NFC Championship second time in the franchise’s history.

As he was under Saban when the latter was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins from 2005-06, the former Alabama coach praised Quinn’s work ethic. Talking to the Falcons’ team website in 2018, he said, “I knew right then (Dan) had a very bright future.” Saban also admitted, “He was really a hard worker. He had a great relationship with his players. Very enthusiastic. Very energetic. Very positive energy that affected the people around him.”

Thus, it isn’t surprising to see this legendary football education teach Quinn a crucial lesson: authenticity is the key to winning in the coaching game. It’s like the difference between a scripted play and a quarterback’s improvisation – both can work, but the latter feels more natural.

Dan Quinn’s authentic leadership style of calling the right plays

Quinn’s approach to coaching is like a well-executed flea flicker – unexpected and effective. He’s not trying to be a carbon copy of his mentors. Instead, he’s running his own plays, and it’s paying off big time.

“Nick and Pete gave me a great example of authenticity,” Quinn shared as per the Athletic. “They both went about it in different ways as people. But when we walked into those buildings, we knew exactly how to do things. They had a philosophy. They had a program. They just lived it every day.”

This lesson in authentic leadership didn’t go unnoticed. Saban, known for his sharp eye for talent, recognized Quinn’s potential early on. “He’s just got the right stuff. He thinks about other people. He doesn’t have a great big ego. Really, a good leader.”

Carroll, too, saw something special in Quinn. When asked about Quinn’s ability to turn things around during tough times, Carroll responded with confidence in 2019 as per the Atlanta Journal: “I think all of the qualities that you guys have witnessed: leadership, toughness, the style of play, the effort that the team plays with, utilizing personnel and schemes, all of the stuff he’s done so extremely well in his past.”

This authentic style is already scoring points in Washington. The Commanders‘ locker room is buzzing with newfound energy, like a team that’s just pulled off a fourth-quarter comeback. Offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury noted to pressors a couple of weeks back, “DQ sets the tone… They want to bring positive energy, high energy, want these guys to want to be in the building and do the best job we can coaching.”

Meanwhile, in Washington, players like Jonathan Allen are feeling the impact. Allen described the new atmosphere as “reinvigorating… This is really just a dream job right now.” By staying true to himself while incorporating lessons from his mentors, Quinn is rewriting the playbook in Washington. As he leads the Commanders, he’s proving that in football, as in life, the best strategy is to be your authentic self