A familiar face could succeed old friend Pete Carroll as head coach of the Seattle Seahawks.

In a surprise move, Seahawks owner Jody Allen announced in a statement that Carroll will transition from head coach to an advisory role. The statement was shared soon after multiple reports stated that the 72-year-old was out as head coach.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Seahawks are “expected to be interested in” Dallas Cowboys defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. The former Atlanta Falcons head coach worked with Carroll for four years in Seattle, spending two years as the defensive coordinator (2013 to 2014).

Quinn was a hot candidate in the 2022 and 2023 NFL head coaching hiring cycles, but wound up staying on Mike McCarthy’s staff. With Dallas putting together yet another excellent season on defense, Quinn is expected to again be widely sought-after by teams in need of a new coach.

The 53-year-old Quinn was head coach of the Falcons from 2015 to 2020 (he was fired midseason), compiling a 43-42-0 record. Quinn led the Falcons to Super Bowl 51 in the 2016 season, where they infamously blew a 25-point lead to the New England Patriots before losing in overtime.

Quinn was Seattle’s DC in the peak of the “Legion of Boom” era, helping the Seahawks to a Super Bowl 48 championship and to another big game appearance the following year.

Carroll spent 14 years as head coach of the Seahawks, compiling a record of 137-89-1.