Dan Quinn is having a blast as Commanders head coach

we are getting so close to that season opener Sunday September 8th down in Tampa against the Buccaneers joined by the headman himself head coach Dan Quinn Dan always appreciate your time yeah likewise man pump to have you here how much fun are you having I mean you're back as a head coach you know you're learning you're growing you got a new team a new franchise how much fun has this been for you yeah it's absolutely been a blast uh probably first starting up you know partner up with Adam coaching staff to get here adding players getting to know the players that were already on the team introducing the draft picks and like bringing this whole thing together man it's uh it's absolutely a blast uh the different personality that's kind of what makes being on a team fun you know like different things that interests and backgrounds and so it's really a cool experience you mentioned Adam this is a team this is a collaboration how's that relationship how how have you kind of learned from his strengths how has he learned from your strengths yeah I think what's the awesome is like we're able to ask each other anything hey what do you think about this what do you think about this and kind of go back and forth so um it's been all I'd hoped it would be you know to have a partner to go through this job it's hard and sometimes as the head coach of gimm they can be lonely you know hey man it's just us here now let's let's go through the whole thing and um but he's absolutely crushed it you know he's put a good staff together the Personnel department has been uh awesome to rock with so it's really been off to a really cool start I've been really pumped about it you guys have been grinding players coaching staff this team ready yeah we are ready and uh that's what the moments are for going through the spring together going through a training camp together pressure testing lots of the situations out on the field and seeing that connection happen is awesome um one of the Bill Walsh interns that told us um hey would have thought you guys would have been together you know three or four years not you know one that made me feel good that you know he saw that from afar but um sometimes when you're digging in and your you know your head's down all the time uh you can miss it but we're not missing it and we're having a blast doing it obviously one of the big story lines with this team is your Young quarterback rookie quarterback Jaden Daniels we're getting to know him as a player but you're getting to know him as a person that Jaden behind the field right so who is this guy tell tell us about him yeah I would say one um like he's got just a coolness about him you know a Swagger that's you know he's got California chill to him but he has got East Coast Hustle Man and uh he absolutely is like this rare competitor that just won't back down from nothing and uh he is a quick study he's mentally quick he's tough but he also puts in the work and I think that's why so many of his teammates have gravitated towards him because he puts the work in and so he steps out on this field he's ready to go attack but I would say I found out a lot about the ball player but as far as the man goes like uh our organization has one hell of a competitor you know behind Center what I appreciated what you said a few days ago was you don't want to put too much pressure on the young man of you just play your role you know be a good teammate don't necessarily be that leader why do you think that was so important to kind of set that standard right away with him I think that'll come in time you know you know so I didn't want any extra pressure on to put the cape on to have to call everybody let me do that man I'll take care of that you play quarterback great and be a great teammate and all the leading will take care of itself and I think we've all been around when you try to put somebody into that spot of leading before their time is there it can come off as unauthentic this guy's going to be a hell of a leader on our team I just wanted to make sure number one priority man great teammate and play your spot excellently all right the whole sliding question what's going on with that because I know that's been kind of a narrative that's developing here we're not um the term we use is kind of we call it get down and so you may see him dive more than slide some I would say probably half the quarterbacks in the league would prefer to lead and roll with their opposite shoulder as opposed to slide um so that's fairly common and that's more in line with how he would play you know the diving as opposed to you know knee back sliding into the second or the third base so I'd say like I said probably half the guys would prefer to do that and and Jaden will be one of those guys as well it's important because we know when's the time to go compete for him and when's the ones not to so um yeah he's uh been educated on it but uh something that it's really important because his health uh is a big factor no team is perfect it's a work in progress what are some of your question marks going into week one what are maybe some of your concerns or you know you know the strengths of this team but what are some things that maybe you have to get better in or or or some concerns you have I think as you're putting everything in for the the first time when you know the Playbook on offense on defense on special teams so you haven't had three or four years of reps at it where that you know proficiency and expertise is there so finding all the things that this player can do uniquely how do we feature this one and so at training camp you're always trying to who's the best Blitzer you know who can just you know lock somebody down manto man who's the best inside rusher what about as a you know a running back to split outside all of those small things that's the hardest part because you're trying to find all un need balance in the players and then feature them and sometimes you have to be in the games to find those and quite often the roles get determined as the season's going not every role is determined before the season even begins so seeing those things happen not being in the in the games with the guys yet some of those roles will evolve and I think that's what I'm excited to see but not having them set makes me U you know wish that they were your very first press conference I asked you if this is a rebuilding process and you said no it's a recalibration yes where's that at what stage are we at in terms of the recalibration yeah cuz I think you want to you know find who your true north is and before we did anything else on offense and defense the Special Teams we want to make sure like our identity and play style would be right and I hope for you and for the fans that have watched you know through the first preseason game they're getting a glimpse of attacking and being physical and playing fast because that's who we are and that's how we're going to play and that's not day one that's day one day 100 100 day thousand day 10,000 uh when you know we play they're going say man these guys absolutely bring it they're physical they attack and they just don't back off and so that's what I want to see at practice that's what I want to see in the games and so that identity that's where the recalibration is to make sure we'll have a lot of good systems and scheme but man the play style you've got to get that right to be an excellent team that's not tacked on at the end you have to have that at the beginning Dan you're a competitor whether it was your playing days at Salsbury or now a head coach in terms of building a winning culture a winning mentality do you set expectations for this team so like what would you define success this year like do you do you talk about that do you have goals that you have in mind that you discussed with the team no I way back I said we'll get as good as we can fast if we're really connected if we really practice right so those skills are right and so that's where I'm at I want to make sure our play style was right and that we're playing smart and tough and so making sure those things are coming out every time we play if we do those things uh it will actually take care of itself by our identity the way we play taking care of the ball creating takeaways the big plays to have so those are all part of the play style and so getting that exactly right that's when our team will take off every good team that I've been a part of is better at the end of the year than they are at the beginning and that'll be the case with this team as well the more time the more reps together will just continue but their connection together it's strong uh it feels like a group that has been together longer we'll be able to get better faster because of that connection you mentioned the word identity does this team have identity right now or is it still developing I think we want it but you have to prove it and you have to prove it in the games and you can't talk about it you got to be about it and so that doesn't get established in one game and it won't be after the first game but you have to go through some hard games a loss how do you come back and fight how do you battle for it how do you win the close games you got to be in those environments a lot and so we do it a lot at practice but I like where we're headed but you don't know until you get in there and we're going to learn from some of those lessons going through it but this team is tight they've been connected and uh I would say that puts them in the in the top half now you got to go work it the exact right way for the fans they're really excited about this team excited they're excited about the direction and you know Jaden the whole team so come Sunday September 8th as season opener what are they going to see from this team what type of team is going to show up there in Tampa yeah I think uh number one I think it's a team they're going to be really proud of you know from this year and moving forward um I think what they're going to find is like these guys are absolutely Relentless in the way that they go compete finishing plays down the field trying to go get a block for one another um I think they'll see a connected team on the sideline that brings energy for one another um I'm thinking they're going to see a team that's a hard-hitting pH physical team um and at the end of it one that knows how to finish and so those are things that I hope to see not just in Tampa but in the games moving forward those are some things that every time they watch us play they can count on those things throughout the year there's a lot of ups and downs and they're all physically gifted but the mental makeup you know you got to you got to be mentally tough sometimes we talk about what the players do in terms of mental health and kind of working through it as a coach I'm sure you have stresses I'm sure you have anxiety how do you kind of go through that who do you lean on during the tough times and and work on that mental health yeah you have to and uh so there's some um techniques that we use you know not just for the players but for the coaches too knowing that these emotions are part of it and uh so we say expect the expected there's going to be ups and downs expect that to happen there's going to be a drop pass or an interception or you know one that you wanted so expect that man like Bring it on I knew this was coming I knew it would be hard and then being able to control your emotions through that let it pass and then you're able to get on to the next thing so expecting the expected and then for us you know controlling what we can can we get the guys really ready to go and that's different than being prepared prepared knew the assignment in the book being ready mentally physically your heart mind soul ready to go compete and so that's the real task for it but uh yeah it's um it's high stakes but it's a lot of fun but uh yeah you do have to have real training in this to make sure that you're not carrying that extra weight with you much like a ball player can't compete when they're really tight as coaches we need to be that way too because they'll get a lot of that vibe from us something that probably wasn't at the Forefront when you were a head coach Atlanta but now is the gambling policy because it's everywhere Dan wherever you look fantasy football gambling the NFL kind of released their gambling policy uh o over the past week as a head coach how do you try to help educate your players and honestly do you kind of stress about that of like I hope they're doing the right thing I hope they're not going down that rabbit hole I think like just almost like we were referring to just a moment ago have we given them the information have we talked about it so the very first day of training camp you know talking about geot tracking and what does that look like and not being able to and our first trip going to New York saying the trip begins here on the bus and this is a 4-day trip so the entire 4 days that is not the case and so I think more than anything the players awareness is now going up the NFL is not messing around with this and so they're aware of that this is not something to try to you know work around and so we just kind of encourage them man everybody has a life off the field but these are the rules of engagement they're clear on them we're clear on them so there's no misunderstanding about it and our number one rule is protect the team and so knowing what those rules are uh we have that to lean back on but we do want to make sure the guys are educated on it and a position that maybe he's not in the spotlight but it's very important it's the kicking position and I know just kind of gauging from the pulse of the fan base they're a little concerned about the kicking situation here in Washington are you concerned where are you at with everything with with the kicking situation because obviously tough start you're bringing in some new kickers what do you think of everything I think what's good to know like Beyond everything else kicking not anything else like our goal is always compete you know and find ways to improve and go there so Adam and his staff they've been digging and uh so even to make you know a transaction yesterday to acquire Cade and bring him in here he was certainly somebody that we had targeted uh that we would be interested in and so the fact that we're able to get him here now that's a big deal for us and uh so we're looking forward to to having him on board and and bringing him all the way through the program and in terms of this team um today is obviously a little emotional because it's the last time this team is going to be fully together because cuts are looming yep how tough is that that aspect of being a coach of son give me your Playbook or you're not you're not going to make it here but good luck elsewhere how how tough is that moment that's the hardest moment because um this game is so important and they have so much love for it and it poured so much into it so um what we always want to make sure is the same way we're bringing somebody into the program with that kind of energy on their walking in the door the same way they're getting the same care walking out of the door and if there's a chance for players to come back hey these are the things we'd like to see you know if it's going to be on the practice squad or in another version that's we like like to see if it's going to somewhere else if they want some feedback we would give them you know that information too I think as a ball player sometimes I don't know where I stand and that's something that we work hard to make sure they know exactly where they stand so when this moment comes um you know there's not any reading between the lines but it's it is definitely a tough part of it because they care so damn much uh they want it so badly that uh your heart you know hurts for them finally for me I want you to pretend that camera is the fan base and I want to put your coaches on and I want you to give a little pep talk to the fan base as we enter this New Year well I would say one to the fan base uh I couldn't be more proud uh to be your head coach and when you watch us play you and your friends your family whether it's at the stadium or on TV every Sunday or Thursday or Monday or whenever we get down uh yeah don't miss it because uh we're absolutely going to bring it and uh 100% be a uh a team you're going to be proud as hell of