Sports

Quinn returning to lead defense as Cowboys shuffle coaches

Published

4 years ago

January 27, 2023

FRISCO, Texas (AP) — A shuffling of the coaching staff for the Dallas Cowboys won’t include defensive coordinator Dan Quinn, who is returning after another year of receiving interest from teams seeking head coaches.

Coach Mike McCarthy said the club’s decision not to renew the contracts of six members of his staff, including one with deep ties to him in Green Bay, hasn’t affected his relationship with owner/general manager Jerry Jones or the rest of the Dallas front office.

The Cowboys, who finished 13-6, reached the playoffs for a second consecutive season and won a road game in the postseason for the first time in 30 years.

Still, Dallas’ divisional-round losing streak reached seven games, the longest since the 1970 merger, with a 19-12 loss at San Francisco. The Cowboys haven’t advanced to an NFC championship game since the last of the franchise’s five Super Bowl titles to cap the 1995 season.

“As far as my relationship with Jerry, just using his words, we’re in an excellent spot,” McCarthy said Thursday, a few hours after the club’s announcement on the coaches who aren’t returning.

“The partnership that we have, he’s excited about. He told me a number of times this week that he wants me to coach here as long as coach (Tom) Landry did. And I said, ‘OK, that’s a long time.’”

Jones’ first act as owner in 1989 was firing Landry, coach of the Cowboys for the franchise’s first 29 seasons. There’s been chatter about McCarthy’s job security since a losing debut in the pandemic-altered 2020 season.

Jones said the loss to the 49ers didn’t change his outlook with McCarthy, who has always shrugged off talk to the contrary.

“I get to talk to Jerry a lot,” McCarthy said. “So I’ve never, I’ve never felt that. The narrative was externally generated.”

Quinn, who interviewed with Denver, Arizona and Indianapolis, told McCarthy on Thursday he would be back for a third season with the Cowboys. Quinn, who led Atlanta to a Super Bowl as coach, made the same decision after interviewing for jobs last year.

Dallas was the first team since the “Steel Curtain” era of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1972-74 to lead the NFL in takeaways in consecutive years.

“This is big for us,” McCarthy said. “Gives us continuity with what we accomplished the last two years and build off of that. And just frankly on a personal note, I can’t tell you how thankful I am.”

The future of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore seems less certain. Moore interviewed for the head coaching job with the Panthers, who hired Frank Reich on Thursday.

McCarthy wouldn’t answer a question about whether Moore would be the play-caller in 2023 if he weren’t hired as a head coach elsewhere.

The mostly productive Dallas offense sputtered in each of the playoff losses the past two seasons.

“I really don’t want to play this game today,” McCarthy said. “Kellen Moore, just like the rest of the coaches, will be evaluated. The evaluation, it takes more than one day.”

The coaches who won’t be back include assistant head coach Rob Davis, who spent 10 seasons on McCarthy’s Green Bay staff after finishing his career as the Packers’ long snapper, and senior defensive assistant George Edwards.

The others are offensive line coach and former Miami head coach Joe Philbin, running backs coach Skip Peete, assistant defensive line coach Leon Lett and quality control analyst Kyle Valero.

Edwards was a senior defensive assistant who took a leading role with the linebackers and was praised on Twitter by two-time All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons.

Edwards joined the Cowboys when McCarthy was hired in 2020, as did Philbin and Peete. It was Peete’s second stint as Dallas’ running backs coach.

Lett, a two-time Pro Bowl defensive lineman who played on all three Super Bowl-winning Dallas teams in the 1990s, just finished his 12th season on the staff. Valero had been with the Cowboys since 2014.

Central Florida News

Osceola Magic Set Franchise Steals Record in 97-89 Season-Opening Win

Published

1 day ago

November 11, 2026

FNN NEWS

Osceola Magic guard JD Davison, No. 4, dribbles between Oklahoma City Blue defenders as Magic teammate No. 22 looks on.

Osceola Magic guard JD Davison (4) drives between Oklahoma City Blue defenders during opening-night action in Kissimmee, Fla. Photo by Bernie Walls / Florida National News.

Davison scores 26 points, Branham adds 23 and Osceola records 23 steals to open its season with a victory at Silver Spurs Arena.

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The Osceola Magic opened their season with a record-setting defensive performance, collecting 23 steals and forcing 35 turnovers in a 97-89 victory over the Oklahoma City Blue on Sunday, Nov. 8, at Silver Spurs Arena.

JD Davison scored a game-high 26 points and Malaki Branham added 23 as Osceola established a franchise record for steals and matched its record for opponent turnovers. Osceola Magic

Defense drives the comeback

Oklahoma City led 31-22 after the first quarter and 44-43 at halftime. Osceola pulled even at 70 entering the fourth quarter, then outscored the Blue 27-19 over the final period.

The victory gave Osceola a 1-0 start and dropped Oklahoma City to 0-2. Zhaire Smith led the Blue with 19 points, while Christoph Tilly contributed 13 points and 10 rebounds. gleague.nba.com

Osceola’s defensive pressure helped offset Oklahoma City’s early advantage. The Blue finished just 5 of 29 from 3-point range, shooting 17.2%.

Six Magic players recorded multiple steals, led by Johnell Davis’ career-high six — one short of the franchise record. Davison collected four, Jarron Cumberland had three, and Ace Baldwin Jr., Branham and Mike Sharavjamts each added two.

Osceola Magic’s Malaki Branham, wearing a black No. 22 jersey, dribbles low while driving alongside an Oklahoma City Blue defender.

Malaki Branham leans into his drive while keeping his dribble low as an Oklahoma City Blue defender guards him during the Osceola Magic’s season opener. Photo by Bernie Walls / Florida National News.

Davison and Branham lead the offense

Davison and Branham combined for 49 points, accounting for more than half of Osceola’s scoring.

Au’Diese Toney contributed 14 points in his return to Osceola, including a late 3-pointer that helped secure the victory.

Davis provided another boost off the bench with 11 points and a career-best-tying four assists, complementing his disruptive defensive performance.

Sharavjamts makes professional debut

Sharavjamts posted a team-best plus-12 rating in 24 minutes during his professional debut. Osceola outscored Oklahoma City by 12 points while he was on the floor. Osceola Magic

What’s next for the Osceola Magic?

Following a scheduled road matchup with the Memphis Hustle on Tuesday, Nov. 10, Osceola returns to Silver Spurs Arena to host the Mexico City Capitanes on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. Eastern. Member News

The Magic’s challenge will be to sustain the defensive pressure that helped them overcome an early nine-point deficit in the opener.

Sports

LIV Golf to begin winding down operations Nov. 9 after five years, $5 billion spent

Published

5 days ago

November 7, 2026

FNN SPORTS

LIV Golf sign in a landscaped setting in Orlando, Florida. Photo by Florida National News

NEW YORK CITY, NY (FNN SPORTS) – LIV Golf plans to begin winding down operations Monday, Nov. 9, following five years and more than $5 billion in spending.

Attorney Matthew Williams outlined the league’s plans during a bankruptcy court hearing Thursday, Nov. 5, in New Jersey. The process includes selling its remaining assets.

“We believe the wind down path is the best path,” Williams told the court.

LIV Golf confirmed the decision after a proposed restructuring deal fell through. The league said it will continue considering alternatives during the shutdown process.

Basketball

USF Women’s Basketball Opens Season With 80–54 Victory Over Furman

Published

6 days ago

November 5, 2026

NISEY LOU S.

TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — On Monday November 2, at the Yuengling Center, the South Florida women’s basketball team opened with a successful debut undernew head coach Kristy Curry.

The Bulls established control early with a 9–0 opening run, taking a 27–12 lead after the first quarter. Furman narrowed the margin before halftime, but South Florida maintained a 46–32 advantage heading into the break.

A dominant third quarter proved decisive, as USF outscored Furman 23–9 to extend its lead to 69–41 entering the fourth.

Balanced Scoring Leads the Bulls

Stefanie Ingram led South Florida with 15 points, followed by Hannah Kohn with 13 and Kendall Puryear with 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Bulls placed six players in double figures, shot 51.6 percent from the field and controlled the boards with a 48–25 rebounding advantage.

A Winning Debut for Kristy Curry

The victory marked Curry’s first win leading South Florida after arriving from Alabama.

Ahead of the season opener, Curry expressed confidence in the program’s potential:

“I’m so excited to be here. I truly think the sky’s the limit at USF.”

— Kristy Curry, USF Head Coach, in pregame remarks published by USF Athletics.

South Florida (1–0) will face Belmont on Friday, November 6, in Nashville, Tennessee.

– Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com