Celebrating Erin Quinn '86

6/30/2026 1:00:00 PM

Erin Quinn '86 pictured with the 2012 Learfield Director's Cup, the 2000-2002 NCAA Men's Lacrosse Championship trophies and all team championship trophies earned during his tenure as Director of Athletics.

Erin Quinn ‘86, a 41-year fixture in the Middlebury athletics community, concludes a storied 20-year run as the director of athletics. His previously-announced retirement will begin when Todd P. Phelps assumes the role on Wednesday, July 1.

Quinn’s excellence as a student-athlete, coach, mentor and administrator is well documented in the memories and impact on his counterparts. Across his 20 years as the director of athletics, he collected 22 NCAA Team Championships and 16 individual national titles while nearly 600 Panthers garnered All-American praise under his direction.

For assistant director of athletics Bob Ritter ‘82 and assistant director of athletics/senior woman administrator Katharine DeLorenzo, Quinn’s ability to nurture, develop and lead those around him to become their best selves is a characteristic that defines Quinn’s career.

We enter this profession because we want to make a positive difference in people’s lives and leave things a little better than we found them. I have had the privilege of walking many miles alongside Erin, both professionally and personally, and I am unquestionably a better person because of it. Erin has made Middlebury a better place through his leadership, his kindness, and the impact he has had on so many people. His legacy will be felt long after he leaves.

Assistant director of athletics Bob Ritter '82

Bob Ritter, Erin Quinn, Mickey Heinecken and Bill Mandigo pictured among the 1988 Middlebury football staff.

Bob Ritter, Erin Quinn, Mickey Heinecken and Bill Mandigo coaching on the Middlebury football staff.

Erin Quinn has a singular gift: making everyone around him want to be better. He never asked us to do the right thing; he simply did it himself and let his example set the standard... In 20 years as our athletic director, he accomplished a lifetime's worth of culture-building that will outlast any title. We are profoundly fortunate to have walked alongside him. Erin leads with heart and mind, and his legacy lives on through what he built and who he has helped us all become.

Assistant director of athletics/senior woman administrator & Borgen Family Head Coach of Field Hockey Katharine DeLorenzo

Quinn’s accomplishments at the helm of the men’s lacrosse program are impressive, achieving 202 victories, six NESCAC titles and three consecutive NCAA Championships. However, the true foundations of his success as a Middlebury student were crucial to his ability to thrive during each period of his career. College trustee Jon Owsley ‘92, a Middlebury lacrosse alumnus who played for Quinn, emphasizes Quinn's ability to adapt and succeed in each of these phases.

As a coach, Erin made his players better than they thought they could be, and as a boss, he managed tough situations, stayed positive, and always sought to put team members in a position to be their best selves. As a friend and mentor, he showed us how to lead by putting the needs of his colleagues, his team and the organization before his own.

Middlebury trustee Jon Owsley '92

Photos from the Middlebury Winter Classic in the Virtue Field House.

Virtue Field House during an indoor track and field meet in 2023.

Through his deep ties to the community and the College, Quinn inherited his predecessors’ vision for improving facilities. He executed the construction of the Bostwick Family Squash Center and Virtue Field House while enhancing the student-athlete experience at numerous other facilities. He also established several endowed coaching positions to help bolster the Panther legacy.

He taught us that athletes can be intellectuals and must be citizens of the broader community - and that intellectuals can be athletes and that all students can find joy and pride in our athletic department, even if they are not direct participants in varsity sports. Maybe most importantly, he made the athletic department a beacon for the best the College can be, while ensuring that it sat within the College and the College’s broader community - not apart from it. And in so doing, he created an organization that is the envy of Division III, if not the entire NCAA.

Middlebury trustee Jon Owsley '92

Erin Quinn's final NESCAC meeting as Middlebury's Director of Athletics.

Erin has embodied everything someone could hope for in a colleague, mentor, and friend. His professionalism speaks for itself, and I will always remember the deep care with which he always spoke of Middlebury athletes, coaches and staff. His contributions to our NESCAC administrative group will be missed, and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to have worked alongside him.

Ashmead White Executive Director of Athletics Tim Ryan (Bowdoin College)

A lifelong learner, Quinn did not restrict his wisdom to the sidelines or the athletic department. He mentored hundreds of young minds and built bridges across campus, serving as an active member of the Middlebury community. He brought the same growth mindset beyond the borders of Vermont to the conference office and the national stage, where his mark has been equally indelible.

Erin is an exceptional coach, athletic director, mentor, and colleague, whose tireless dedication to the people, programs, institution, and community created an environment where individuals could thrive. His tenure was defined not by wins and championships alone, but by the culture he built and his remarkable ability to make those around him better. He leaves behind a legacy that transcends accomplishments - a timeless standard of leadership and character that will endure at Middlebury for years to come.

NESCAC Executive Director Andrea Savage

As he has done twice before during his lifelong relationship with Middlebury, Quinn now faces a new transition - moving from the director of athletics to a fan. While the hours before and after each contest may look different in the coming years, Quinn expects familiar feelings on game day.

I love sports; I’ve played multiple sports growing up and all the way through college at Middlebury. I coached two sports, and as an athletic director, I had the opportunity to scale my love across all 31 sports. There is no way that I am stepping away and am not going to be a huge fan of Middlebury athletics.

Erin Quinn '86