By: Noah Nunez
General Reporter
In remembrance of the late Swimming and Diving Head Coach Tim Quill, the university unveiled a new sign to be placed under the scoreboard, highlighting his tenure with the Owls.
The event began with the university’s Associate Director of Athletics Ken Sweeten, welcoming those who took the time to show up and remember a coach whose career is impossible to explain in just one three minute speech.
“We’re here to celebrate not only this tremendous occasion but also the career of Tim Quill,” Sweeten said. “Truly a remarkable career, and his legacy has left an indelible mark on Southern Connecticut State University”
Sweeten then introduced the Director of Athletics and Recreation Terrence Jones, to discuss his history and relationship with Quill, reflecting on him now that he is gone.
Jones explained the relationship Quill had with his athletes and the care he put into every single one of them, so they not only had a friendly face greeting them each day but also a kind coach to educate them.
“At the end of the day, every swimmer and diver that was on his team knew that he loved them and that he cared for them and that he really poured into them to see them be good in the pool and in the community,” Jones said.
Looking around the stands and seeing all the athletes that showed up to celebrate the coach, it is clear that the love he had for them carries on even after his passing.
After Jones spoke, university Interim President Sandra Bulmer, went up to the podium to voice what this sign meant for her and the school as a whole.
“Going forward, this scoreboard will not only be a permanent reminder to all of us how much he meant to the swimming and diving teams and to the university. Tim will always be in our hearts, and now he will always have a place on the Southern campus,” Bulmer said.
Following the loss of Quill, his assistant coach, CJ Moran, took over as head coach and has been working with the swimming and diving team since his death.
Moran discussed his history with Quill and just how long he and Quill had been swimming together and what he has learned in that time.
“As an athlete, you sometimes think, ‘why are we doing this?’ But I learned to understand it and appreciate everything he taught me,” Moran said. “He never did anything he didn’t think was in the best interest of a student-athlete, and that’s something I hope to carry on”
The event closed off with a letter by Bruce Hutchins, the founder of the university’s swim team in 1960. The letter was read by his daughter, Kim Clark, regarding the validity of Quill from 1999, when he first joined the university.
“He has the credentials, the background, the experience and now he has demonstrated that he can do the job,” the letter said.
From what everyone during the event had said regarding Quill’s time at the university, it is clear he kept those same traits at the forefront of his time with the Owls, and they will continue to live on in all the future athletes.
