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Rockhurst University Athletics

Blair Quinn

Men's Soccer

Quinn has great memories of his time at Rockhurst

Blair Quinn was an All-American goalkeeper for the Hawks in the 1990s
One of the top goalkeepers in the history of Rockhurst men's soccer is now coaching college goalkeepers at one of the top Division I women's programs in the country.

Blair Quinn is in second year as an assistant coach and goalkeeper coach at Texas Tech University. The 17th-ranked Red Raiders are getting ready to play in their second consecutive NCAA national tournament.

Quinn returned to Rockhurst last week as Texas Tech practiced at Bourke Field in preparation of the semifinals of the Big 12 women's soccer tournament in Kansas City.

"Playing at Rockhurst was the best soccer experience of my life," said Quinn, who was the starting keeper for the Hawks from 1993-96. "I wouldn't be coaching today without the help of Coach (Tony) Tocco and (former assistant coach) Denny Lee. I went on to play pro after this and it wasn't close to this experience."

The Hawks posted a 66-12-1 record and played in three NAIA national tournaments during Quinn's three seasons at Rockhurst. He tallied 133 saves and 19.5 shutouts in his senior year, which ended with a 3-2 loss to Birmingham-Southern in the 1996 NAIA national semifinals in Birmingham, Alabama.

"We expected to win all the time. I had an All-American center back in front of me all three years in Mike House, Jason Olliges and Doug Grojean," said Quinn, who was a first team All-American in 1996. "Coach Tocco wanted the best out of you every time, no exceptions. That's why we won all the time."

Tocco said Blair was very athletic and was an intelligent goalkeeper. "He had great quickness to move side-to-side and he had a strong vertical. He could get up to get the ball."

After his college career ended, Blair went on to play professional soccer in several U.S. soccer leagues for six seasons. He finished his playing days with the Kansas City Comets in the Major Indoor Soccer League in 2003 and got his start in coaching as a volunteer coach at Rockhurst.

"I knew I wanted to coach as soon as I retired from playing. Coach Tocco helped me come back here to finish my degree," said Quinn, who made coaching stops at Saint Mary (Kansas), Loyola Marymount, New Mexico State, Arizona State, Houston and Iowa before going to Texas Tech.

Tocco knew Quinn would become a successful college coach. "He had all of this ability as a player and he had this knowledge that he had gathered from the pros. You could tell how much he had learned in the pros when he came back to help us."
 
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