Former Seattle Seahawks defensive coordinator Dan Quinn is the Atlanta Falcons' new coach, the NFL club announced on Monday, a day after Seattle lost to New England in the Super Bowl.
Quinn, whose Seahawks' defensive unit allowed the fewest points and yards in the league over the past two seasons, reportedly signed a five-year deal with the Falcons before owner Arthur Blank announced his hiring.
"I am grateful for this opportunity and I am excited to be the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons," Quinn said. "This felt like the right fit from the beginning."
The Falcons had to wait until the Seahawks, who lost to New England 28-24, completed their playoff run before they could make any agreement official.
"I want to thank Mr Blank for his resolve as this was an extended and complicated process," Quinn said. "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-calibre team."
Atlanta fired coach Mike Smith after a 6-10 season, the Falcons' second losing campaign in a row.
Quinn, 44, masterminded a Seahawks' defensive squad that permitted only 14.4 points and 273.6 total yards a game in the 2013 season, which ended with the Seahawks routing Denver 43-8 in last year's Super Bowl.
And that was Quinn's first season as a NFL defensive coordinator, a role he had for two seasons at the University of Florida before joining the Seahawks as an assistant and defensive line coach from 2009-10.
This past season, the Seahawks allowed only 15.9 points and 267 yards a game on the way to repeating as National Conference winners.
"This is an exciting day for the Atlanta Falcons' franchise and our fans," Blank said. "Dan is a talented football coach who has a deep and diverse history in the game which will serve us well.
"He has a definitive plan for our football team and what it will take to win on a consistent basis. He also has a proven ability to develop players by maximising their individual strengths."
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