Kyle Shanahan credited Dan Quinn for shaping him into a better coach as the San Francisco 49ers prepare to face the Washington Commanders on Monday night.
Shanahan worked under Quinn as the Falcons’ offensive coordinator in 2015 and 2016, a period that ended with Atlanta’s loss in Super Bowl LI. Speaking on Thursday, Shanahan said he learned more than just X’s and O’s from Quinn during that time.
“I’m very grateful for the time I got with Dan. I learned so much from him,” Shanahan said. “I’d say before I got there, I was so consumed with X’s and O’s and always trying to find the right answer, which I still am, but I learned such other attributes from Dan. That’s something that I’ve really learned from him, that the more you talk about it, the more you show it, the more you can get your guys to play to a certain style. He made me a much better coach that way.”
Shanahan recalled being frustrated early on by Quinn’s team meetings, which often focused on topics unrelated to game strategy. “I remember certain team meetings we’d have where he’s talking about the ball or we’re just doing random things that don’t have much to do with X’s and O’s,” Shanahan said. “I was thinking, ‘Holy crap, I’m running out of time. I have a lot of important stuff to cover.’”
He came to understand that these sessions built what Quinn called “the brotherhood,” a collective mindset that affects how players approach tackling and play “down-in and down-out.” Shanahan said, “I think that’s what you see with Dan on every team.”
The 49ers enter the game with a 5-0 record, leading the NFL in point differential and ranking third in both offensive and defensive points allowed. Washington is 1-3-1 and Shanahan expects them to be motivated despite their record.
“Anytime your record isn’t as good as it should be… I think that they have a much better team than that,” he said.
Shanahan and Quinn have faced each other four times since their Atlanta days. The Falcons won their first meeting in 2019, 29-22. Since then, Shanahan’s teams have won three matchups when Quinn was the Dallas Cowboys’ defensive coordinator: the 2021 NFC Wild Card round, the 2022 NFC Divisional Round, and a 42-10 victory on Sunday Night Football in 2023. This will be their first encounter with Quinn as Washington’s head coach.
According to Yahoo Sports.
