Dimitroff feels ‘very fortunate’ with partnership he has with Quinn

It is the right kind of partnership, a general manager and head coach who are working toward the same goal — who share the same vision.

That’s how it is between Atlanta Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff and head coach Dan Quinn.

‘Dan Quinn has a really good understanding of development’

Dimitroff especially appreciates the fact Quinn doesn’t just coach the players that the GM and the player-personnel staff find. Quinn and his assistant coaches also make an effort to develop them.

“I feel very fortunate to partner with a head coach like Dan Quinn, who has a really good understanding of development,” Dimitroff told Alex Marvez and Gil Brandt on Late Hits. “He makes sure that his coaches believe in it one hundred percent, so when we go out there, not only during the spring when we have more time to develop, but even during after practices we’re very mindful. We don’t jump off and run to the café. They stay around for another X-amount of minutes in the day and work drills and continue to develop, and that’s very big important things for us, especially playing with a lot of the young guys that we do have.

‘From the beginning, we were very understanding of each other’s roles’

“We all know it’s so, so important in this league to have that relationship between the head coach and the general manager. If it’s not harmonious and if it’s not respectful and understanding and communicative, there’s no chance. You can’t survive in our minds. Dan came in thinking that he wanted to have the best relationship in the league with his general manager. I have always felt that way.

“I just think, from the very beginning, we were very understanding of each other’s roles. We were very understanding of each other’s skills and what we bring to the table. We know that we can learn from each other, which is a big, big thing. Too often you have people with egos in this business who aren’t open enough to listen and learn, especially from the partner in the business, and I think that’s a really important thing. And Dan and I really have an understanding of how important that is.”