Quinn '86 hired as Reilly's successor Longtime lacrosse coach chosen from national pool of applicants

Author: James Kerrigan

What a week for Erin Quinn. Besides collecting his 200th and 201st win (and sixth NESCAC title) as Middlebury's men's lacrosse coach, Quinn '86 was named new director of athletics to replace Russ Riley.

In the Tuesday, May 4 press conference in Kenyon Family Lounge, Tim Spears, Dean of the College and chair of the search committee, announced with excitement and pleasure the new director of athletics.

Russ Reilly, who served the College for 29 years, including nine as director of athletics, casually leaned against the back wall and watched the athletic department pass the torch to a well-qualified and well- suited man.

It is not surprising that the hiring came from within. As a Division III powerhouse, the vacant position attracted names from all over the country as nearly 100 candidates applied. But Middlebury is unique and it takes a special understanding of that to truly appreciate what athletics here are all about. So, it seems fitting that the department chose someone from its own ranks.

Quinn differentiated himself through integrity, talent, energy and passion, according to President of the College Ronald D. Liebowitz.

Spears, who was impressed with the strength of the applicant pool, recognizes the importance of understanding the Middlebury way: "In appointing Erin Quinn as the next Director of Athletics, we can have confidence that Middlebury will stay close to these ideals and make whatever adjustments are necessary for the College to maintain the proper balance between athletics and academics."

President Liebowitz echoed this sentiment: "Erin stood out among an extremely strong group of final candidates. We believe, as a result of his experience and knowledge of Middlebury and Division III athletics, he will maintain our program's excellence, while taking an innovative approach to leading Middlebury through the numerous challenges facing athletics in higher education, and the requisite changes those challenges will require."

Quinn no doubt embodies the College's mission. After graduating from Middlebury in 1986 where he was a captain of the football team, he immediately joined the football and lacrosse coaching staffs at his alma mater.

Three years of coaching at other colleges, two at Tufts and one at Lake Forest (Ill.), was just not the same; he returned to Middlebury in 1990 as an assistant coach in lacrosse and football. In 1991, he was named head coach of the lacrosse team.

From there, Quinn enjoyed nothing but success. Nearing the end of his 15th season (with, at the very least, one more game at the national tournament), Quinn has tallied a career record of 201-37 with a .845 winning percentage. He captured all six NESCAC championships as well as leading his teams to nine NCAA appearances in the last 10 years, including three straight National Championships from 2000-2002.

Quinn has also collected numerous coaching honors, including four New England Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Division III Coach of the Year awards and the College Lacrosse USA Division III National Coach of the Year award in 2001.

His dedication and success makes leaving that much harder. "The most difficult part of considering this move was the prospect of losing the day-to-day contact with the student-athletes I have coached at Middlebury. I know my relationships with them cannot be the same as they were as a coach, but I look forward to the opportunity to establish meaningful relationships in this new role and to still serve the student-athletes albeit in a different way."

Likewise, the players will miss his leadership and talent as a coach. Yanik Bababekov '08 described his departure as bittersweet: "Selfishly, we will miss him as a coach, but there is no one better to fill Reilly's shoes and nothing better for the school."

Success, in terms of wins and losses, is simply a byproduct of "what we do on a day-to-day basis," Quinn says of his lacrosse experience. "My goal is to translate that to the new position [as director of athletics]." He continues, "I've enjoyed coaching immensely - I've enjoyed the bigger-picture role as a coach and hope to apply these skills on a broader scale."

Quinn is clearly qualified and certainly deserving of the new position. To some degree, it runs in the family, or at least his spouse's family.

At the same time he began his head coaching role at Middlebury he married his wife Pam, whose father is Tom Lawson, director of athletics from 1977 to 1996. Quinn will no doubt use Lawson as a resource, but did note that the "advice stage hasn't set in quite yet."

When that time does come, Quinn will listen with open ears, as he has done all his life.

On Saturday, as Wesleyan and Middlebury dueled in a legendary final, Quinn quietly positioned himself on the sideline with no signs that the intensity and stress were getting to him.

Middlebury will be blessed to have that presence on every sideline next year, and in years to come, as the new director of athletics.

In a sense, maybe this was just an ordinary week for an extraordinary man.