10-13-2024 Education - Flipbook - Page 3
The Baltimore Sun | Sunday, October 13, 2024 3
SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT
Salisbury University alumni Dan and Stacey Quinn stand with Commanders Managing Partner Josh Harris (left) and General Manager Adam Peters (right) during a press conference at Commanders Park.
From Sea Gulls to Washington Commanders,
Quinn Is Ready To Win
n September, Salisbury University alumni
gathered in Landover, Maryland, to attend the
Washington Commanders’ home opener at
Northwest Stadium.
Their mission? Show their Sea Gull pride
and cheer on fellow alumnus Dan Quinn, the
Commanders’ new Head Coach, who is off to a
winning start this season.
A 1994 SU graduate, Quinn wore maroon
and gold as an SU Athletics Hall of Famer, so
he’s no stranger to the Commanders’ burgundy
and gold.
Quinn’s hiring was a homecoming of sorts
for him and his wife Stacey, who also is a 1991
SU graduate. A New Jersey native, Quinn held
various coaching positions in the region, before
climbing the National Football League ranks.
During his introductory press conference
for the Commanders, Quinn told Washington
fans: “You’ll often hear me say, ‘be where your
feet are.’ So let me tell you, I am ready to run.”
Since becoming head coach, Quinn
I
has been asked in interviews about attending Salisbury, only a couple hours from the
Baltimore-Washington region.
“It was a cool spot to go to school,” Quinn
told JP Finlay with NBC Sports Washington.
“Good for summer jobs. I did a lot of bouncing,
different days, different spots. It was an absolute
blast going to college there and meeting a lot of
lifelong friends.”
On The Sports Junkies radio show, host
Jason Bishop ’94 reminded Quinn about interviewing him on the Sports Wrap, a campus
sports show.
Of course, Quinn said the best part of his
Salisbury days was meeting Stacey.
The best call I ever made was to say, ‘hey
do you want to go out,’” he said. “So, 29 years
later here we are. She is my ‘ride or die’ and has
been with me on this football life that is ups
and downs. It’s an absolutely awesome life we
share together.”
A 2005 SU Hall of Fame inductee, Quinn
Get Pumped
For Tomorrow
Washington Commanders Head Coach
Dan Quinn ’94 kicked off his journey to the
National Football League as a Salisbury
University Sea Gull.
With excellent athletics and academics,
Salisbury has dedicated coaches, professors
and mentors who are invested in your future.
SU is a great choice for students from the
Baltimore-Washington corridor and beyond.
67
undergraduate and graduate
degree programs
23
NCAA Division III national
team championships
Make Tomorrow Yours
Visit salisbury.edu
Salisbury University is an equal educational and employment opportunity institution.
was a two-sport athlete, excelling in track &
field and football. Stacey was an athletic trainer.
The two have remained SU supporters over the
years, creating endowments benefiting athletics.
On the gridiron, Quinn was a feared defensive lineman, recording 145 total tackles. In
his final three years, he played all 28 games,
with 135 tackles, two forced fumbles, a fumble
recovery and one interception, returned for a
touchdown. In track & field, he set the school
record in the hammer throw (168’ 8”), which
stood for nearly 20 years.
After graduating from SU, Quinn rose
through coaching ranks, leading to assistant
coaching roles with the San Francisco 49ers,
Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. As the
Seattle Seahawks’ defensive coordinator, he
went to the Super Bowl twice, winning in 2014.
After five-plus seasons as the Atlanta
Falcons’ head coach, including another Super
Bowl appearance in 2018, Quinn also spent
three seasons leading the Dallas Cowboys’
defense.
“Dan has proven to be one of the brightest minds in the NFL,” said SU Football Head
Coach Sherman Wood.
“He was a two-time captain,” said Robb
Disbennett, a Salisbury football coach for 33
years. “You could see it in his work ethic,
his competitiveness, his leadership abilities. I
always saw Dan being very positive.”
“He is an amazing example of hard work and
reaching your dream,” added Monica Polizzi,
SU director of athletics and campus recreation.
Of course, Quinn isn’t the NFL’s only Sea
Gull: Baltimore Ravens Owner Steve Bisciotti
also graduated from then Salisbury State
University.
Learn more about how SU students
and graduates are setting success in
motion at www.salisbury.edu.
