One day after Cowboys coordinators Dan Quinn and Kellen Moore met with the Broncos and General Manager George Paton — the former longtime Vikings assistant — about Denver's open head coaching job, the Vikings interviewed both for Minnesota's opening on Wednesday.
Quinn, 51, and Moore, 33, are the second and third coaching candidates to speak with the Vikings; the first interview happened Sunday over videoconference with Packers offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett. The Vikings and Broncos are among eight NFL head-coaching vacancies.
The Cowboys lost their first playoff game, 23-17, to San Francisco on Sunday.
Quinn, the former Falcons head coach and Seahawks defensive coordinator, turned around the Cowboys defense in his first year as coordinator. Dallas ranked seventh by allowing only 21.1 points per game, lifted in part by two impactful rookies in linebacker Micah Parsons and cornerback Trevon Diggs.
Quinn took the Cowboys job after being fired from Atlanta, where he led two playoff teams including the 2016 NFC champions. But his teams were 43-42 over five-plus seasons. Quinn got the Falcons' top job after overseeing two of the Seahawks' four consecutive No. 1 scoring defenses as coordinator — winning a Super Bowl in the 2013 season.
Moore, the former backup NFL quarterback, wrapped his third season coordinating the Dallas offense, which ranked No. 1 in yardage (407 yards per game) for the second time under his watch.
Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott and a talented receiver group also ranked No. 1 in scoring, averaging 31.2 points per game. But the lows were low as Moore's offense fell flat in the playoffs. They drew seven penalties against the 49ers as the league's most-flagged offense in the regular season.
The Cowboys have beaten the Vikings in back-to-back seasons, including Minnesota's 20-16 loss at U.S. Bank Stadium on Oct. 31 against backup Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush.
The Vikings also plan to speak with 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans, Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris, Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles, Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon and Rams offensive coordinator Kevin O'Connell.
