Falcons new head coach Dan Quinn: 'It's an unbelievable opportunity'

A new era of Atlanta Falcons football began Tuesday, with the team officially introducing Dan Quinn as the 16th head coach in franchise history. 

Taking over a team that has struggled through two consecutive losing seasons, Quinn's opening comments included a message to Falcons fans, sharing some thoughts on the impact he hopes to have going forward:

I want to know that the brand of football that we're going to play is going to be fast and physical. We're going to attack in every phase that we can do it. And, most importantly, I would like you to know that the energy and enthusiasm you bring to the Atlanta Falcons can be unmatched in terms of the energy I'll try to bring to you as your head football coach. It's an unbelievable opportunity and I couldn't be more proud to be here with you today.

Quinn, of course, served as the Seattle Seahawks' defensive coordinator for the past two years, overseeing the NFL's top-ranked defense in each season at the helm.

With the Seahawks having played in the Super Bowl this past Sunday, and Quinn unable to officially accept the job until this week as a result, he explained that the Falcons' patience and confidence throughout the process demonstrated to him the quality of the organization.

"It's not an easy thing to do in this business. And for those guys to have that kind of conviction told me very clearly the type of leadership that's in place here, and one that I so wanted to be a part of."

Already with a productive offense, the Falcons will hope that Quinn's presence can shore up the defensive side of the ball and get the team back to the postseason after what has now been a two-year absence.

Quinn also confirmed several key staff hires at his introductory press conference, including Kyle Shanahan as offensive coordinator, Richard Smith as defensive coordinator and Raheem Morris as assistant head coach/defensive passing game coordinator.

The Falcons restructured their front-office personnel earlier this offseason, but team owner Arthur Blank indicated Tuesday that Quinn will have final authority over the 53-man roster.