Snapshot: Jeff Quinn

January 26, 2010 # 12:18 am # Features, Snapshot # No Comment

He’s the new guy in town and he’s got big shoes to fill.

We sat down with UB’s new head football coach to learn his

hopes and dreams for the program.

You left Cincinnati boasting a pretty good record with 12-0 as an offensive coordinator. Do you think you can carry those numbers over here to Buffalo with this new team?

Jeff Quinn: Absolutely. If you look at the body of work I’ve been able to accomplish over the course of my 26 seasons, we’ve been able to do that at the Division II level at Grand Valley State, Central Michigan, when we went there for three seasons, and then obviously it carried over to Cincinnati, and I expect those same results here at Buffalo.

Even though you haven’t really had a chance to see them practice, what do you think would be the Bull’s organization’s greatest strength or weakness?

JQ: When you look at the transition of the previous coaching staff [and] myself, I look at the people. The greatest strength is the people and we talk about the RKG’s, finding the right kind of guys that fit what we expect out of our kids and our student athletes here at Buffalo on a day-to-day basis. My vision is to graduate our student athletes with a degree at Buffalo and to win the MAC championship, and that’s what I’m excited about in terms of what I bring and the coaching staff that I have in place.

What drew you to football? How did you get started originally?

JQ: It’s interesting because my family, we’re from Chicago, Ill. We’re a big hockey family and when we first started … my older brother was in hockey at an early age. My parents had to come to me after one year and say, ‘We can’t afford two of you in hockey so you’re going to have to find something else, to find another passion in your life,’ and so football was just one of those sports that I gravitated to. I love the contact, I love the way the game is played and obviously I’ve had a lot of success, not only as a coach but as a player. But I also did a little wrestling in my time. I was a 12-year wrestler. I wrestled and competed in football, so that was my background but I still like getting on the ice and skating around.

Would you have taken the coaching job with the Buffalo Bills if you’d been offered?

JQ: I couldn’t ask for a better fit for me, being in Buffalo. I’m a guy that has five F’s; I tell people all the time, to know Jeff Quinn, you have to understand there are five priorities in my life, my five passions. It’s my faith, my family, football, fishing, and having fun, and I can accomplish all those things right here in Buffalo. I’m excited about being the head coach here at the university and leading this football program.

Are you enjoying the Buffalo winter so far?

JQ: You know, I grew up in the Chicago area, my parents had a cottage in Wisconsin for 33 years and I lived 18 years in the state of Michigan, so I’ve been in this Great Lakes region and I love it. Somebody once said, well you’re going to move to Buffalo, you’re going to need extra shovels. I said, well I don’t move snow; I drive over it. I use my snowmobile and four-wheeler to go over it, so I’ll fit right in.

With your busy schedule have you had a chance to see “Avatar” at all?

JQ: Any movies I’ve been watching have been football players on the field … but the answer would be no, I have not had a chance to see “Avatar,” but when we went down to the Sugar Bowl, that experience down there had a lot of things [that] a lot of people don’t see in the Bowl Championship Series, so our kids were down on Bourbon Street and I think there were a lot of blue people down there.

Bill Polian, president of the Indianapolis Colts, described your offense as “up-tempo, exciting and exceptionally productive.” Do you think this can lead us to another bowl game this upcoming season?

JQ: Absolutely. The one thing that I like is a fast-paced offense, and I always tell people, ‘don’t leave your seats because the points may go on the board quicker than you can get back and watch what we do.’ I’m excited about bringing that style of offense here in Buffalo. I’ve got a coaching staff that has coached that system. Out of the nine full time coaches, seven of them have coached with me … so it’s going to be a seamless transition for the coaching staff.

What would you being doing if your career hadn’t led into coaching college football?

JQ: I think I would be fishing. Somebody once said I had a disease, a very rare disease, [and] the only cure is constant treatment. But I do have a deep passion for that aspect of my life. I love fishing; it’s just been something I was raised on. Every summer my parents went up to Wisconsin and we stayed in a campground, in a cabin, and we swam and fished and we had fun, and it was just something that was part of my upbringing. So I guess if I wasn’t coaching college football, I’d be fishing.

Are you excited to see some Jeff Quinn themed T-shirts for next season?

JQ: I think the most important thing is we draw an excitement around our campus toward this football program and these young men, and anything that’s going to draw that excitement and that passionate enthusiasm for Buffalo is very much welcomed here, so whether it’s T-shirts, whether it’s the Bulls sign, what we want is our students here at Buffalo to be excited and proud about coming out to our football games, and not only here on campus but also off campus.

What is the greatest moment you’ve had in your 26 years of coaching college football?

JQ: All the championships and just seeing how difficult it is to accomplish those goals. I was able to be a part of two national championships at Grand Valley in Division II, I was able to be a part of changing to winning ways at Central Michigan. We had six straight losing seasons there and we were able to win the MAC Championship in our third year, and I was interim head coach at Central. That was the Motor City Bowl, and we won that game. And then going to Cincinnati and winning two back-to-back Big East championships and going undefeated, I mean, it’s not easy to go undefeated, and then being in two BCS bowl games, to the Orange Bowl and the Sugar Bowl. Those experiences and providing those opportunities for these young men is what I’m all about.

What has been your favorite thing about Buffalo so far? Have you had a chance to try out our chicken wings yet?

JQ: I’m buying stock in chicken wings—that has been a table fare of mine. Even though I’ve been “hired on the job,” it’s been very challenging because I’ve had to go down to the American Football Coaches Association and I had to get back to Cincinnati for a night. I’ve been living in a lot of hotels and airports and out of a suitcase, so it’s going to feel really good when the recruiting ends, and we can sign our kids, and we can just really settle down and lock into the Buffalo area. But I’ll tell you, I’ve been over … the Niagara River and I’ve already been to Lake Erie. I haven’t gone as far as the Falls and Ontario, but its just a beautiful, beautiful area that I can continue pursuing my passions in. That’s what’s exciting about Buffalo for me.

And we have one final question. Do you have any thoughts on the “Jersey Shore” finale from [Monday] night?

JQ: The “Jersey Shore” finale… Did somebody get punched? Is that what happened? She was dancing by herself… is that the show? OK. It’s amazing, you know, what’s going through people’s minds. But I really was trying to get enough rest, so I could get up and get some sleep, avoid sleep depravation. *laughs*

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