Jan. 03--Perhaps everything you would need to know about Dan Quinn as a defensive mind surfaced last February in a three-hour, 23-minute tutorial.
On the NFL's grandest stage, against one of the most prolific offenses the league ever had seen, Quinn unleashed an assault that was as spectacular as it was surprising. The Seahawks defensive coordinator not only convinced his players there was little to fear about Peyton Manning and the Broncos, he concocted and revised and perfected a game plan that took his players' greatest strengths and packed them into a blowtorch to aim at Manning.
Suddenly, under the bright lights of Super Bowl XLVIII, the Broncos quarterback morphed into Blaine Gabbert. The pressure of Quinn's defense left Manning in a daze all night. He finished a startling first half 17-for-23 but for only 104 yards with two interceptions, one returned 69 yards for a touchdown.
By that point, the Seahawks led 22-0, the Super Bowl was all but over and Quinn's defense had flustered one of the league's all-time best quarterbacks into submission.
In that context, it's no surprise the Bears have targeted Quinn as one of the prospective candidates for their head-coaching opening, interviewing the Seahawks assistant Friday in Seattle.
On Saturday, the Bears will travel to Denver to connect with Broncos offensive coordinator Adam Gase, a 36-year-old energizer who is respected most for his intelligence and adaptability.
Last year's Super Bowl aside, Gase's offense has been a fireworks show the last two seasons with Manning and the Broncos averaging 430 yards per game and 34 points.
But before the excitement about potential unions with Quinn or Gase elevates, understand the dynamics. Both coordinators currently are locked in with teams capable of reaching the Super Bowl. And if recent history is any indication, assistants on teams that make deep playoff runs often may be touted as hot head coaching candidates but they rarely are hired following their peak postseason success.
In the past four offseasons, 30 new head coaches have been hired across the NFL. Only one came from a team that advanced to one of the conference title games that season. That was Chuck Pagano, who was the Ravens' defensive coordinator in 2011 and helped them reach the AFC championship game before leaving to take the Colts job.
Waiting hardest part
Seems counterintuitive, right? How could the bright minds of the league's best teams not be getting scooped up with more frequency?
For one thing, timing becomes the major factor. Coaches on playoff teams can't accept new jobs until their current team finishes playing. So ultimately organizations in need of a head coach begin to feel a time crunch.
"You don't want to get caught with your pants down," said one league executive. "It's hard to wait. Unless you feel overwhelmingly that you're waiting for the right guy."
After all, it's not strictly about hiring a head coach. That coach then needs to secure his entire staff. And that process, front-office folks assert, not only takes time but may be just as critical as the hiring of the head coach himself.
High-quality coordinators and position coaches are a prerequisite to high-level success. And in January, as NFL franchises scour the coaching market during what are basically informal job fairs at the East-West Shrine Game and Senior Bowl, the process intensifies -- a game of musical chairs during which the music often stops quickly.
Of the last 30 hires, only five have been made after Jan. 20. And of those 30, only four joined their new teams coming off a season that included a single playoff victory: Pagano, Dennis Allen (from the Broncos to Raiders after the 2011 season); Gus Bradley (from the Seahawks to Jaguars after the 2012 season); and Ken Whisenhunt (from the Chargers to Titans last year).
It's also fair to wonder whether the microfocus of coaches in the middle of playoff preparations prevents them from being at their best in the interview process, with a concentration on their job often superseding the mental investment they can give to prospective employers.
Gase, for example, is readying his Broncos to play either the Steelers, Bengals or Colts next week. Yet this weekend, he's in the middle of a whirlwind of interviews with the Falcons, 49ers and Bears.
"It's an interesting dynamic to try to do it," Gase told reporters in Denver this week. "A lot of times (the preparation) happens in spring and the summer. It's something that you kind of put on the back burner. Then you focus on the season. And if it comes up then it comes up."
Clock's ticking
Still, for those looking to identify the figurehead who soon will be introduced at Halas Hall, the percentages say to look outside the NFL playoff brackets. In the last four years, two-thirds of the head-coaching hires have emerged from elsewhere.
Last year, as the Seahawks made their Super Bowl charge, Quinn interviewed with the Vikings and did well enough to become a finalist. But the Vikings hired Mike Zimmer on Jan. 15, just a few days after the Seahawks won their playoff opener.
Despite heavy interest from the Browns and Titans as well, Quinn remained with the Seahawks after the Super Bowl.
Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell also interviewed with the Vikings. In addition, Bevell accepted an interview with the Redskins and attracted interest from the Lions and Titans. But the Redskins quickly hired Jay Gruden on Jan. 8, the Titans signed Whisenhunt five days later and the Lions chose Caldwell the next day.
This week, six positions opened. Which means the ticking clock the Bears are hearing suddenly may sound six times louder.
dwiederer@tribpub.com
Twitter @danwiederer
