Ex-Falcons Coach Dan Quinn Has Sights Set on College Openings

Despite an 0-5 start to the season and an ensuing pink slip for the Atlanta Falcons, Dan Quinn is apparently campaigning for his next coaching gig.

For starters, Quinn has already reached out to Arizona about its vacancy, according to Jason Scheer of CBS Sports. The Wildcats fired Kevin Sumlin last week.

Auburn also has a high-profile opening, and per Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports, Quinn is a name to watch there as well.

Basically, Quinn is on the prowl after five full seasons with Atlanta, where he compiled an overall record of 43-42. He also took the Falcons to the Super Bowl in 2016, and who can forget that game? The Falcons blew a 28-3 lead against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots.

It's been mostly downhill for the Falcons since, and definitely downhill for Quinn. The Falcons' 0-5 start this season was their first since 1997. But Quinn can skip that part on an otherwise solid resume.

For Quinn, another NFL head-coaching job likely isn't in the works for the time being. But perhaps he can regroup in the college ranks. Others have Quinn pegged for a return to the NFL sidelines as a defensive coordinator. That's the position he held under Pete Carroll in 2013, when the Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl.