Dan Quinn will serve as Cowboys interim coach for…

USA TODAY Sports

With head coach Mike McCarthy out for Thursday’s game against the Saints after testing positive for COVID-19, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn will fill in as the Cowboys interim coach.

McCarthy told reporters the news in his virtual Monday press conference. Quinn, who was the Falcons head coach from 2015-2020, has coached from the booth this season but will be on the field on Thursday. He’ll also continue to make the defensive calls.

“Obviously, he has the head coach experience of being on the field,” McCarthy said, via Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News.

McCarthy added that he’d long thought of Quinn for a sideline replacement for this scenario given Quinn’s experience. And McCarthy noted that Quinn called defensive plays for two years while he was a head coach.

McCarthy will continue to be involved with the team virtually throughout the week.