PHILADELPHIA – After a legendary career spanning nearly half a century, Saint Joseph's women's track and field and cross country head coach Kevin Quinn has announced his retirement. Quinn spent a combined 49 years as head coach between SJU's men's and women's track and field and cross country programs.

A 1962 graduate of Saint Joseph's, Quinn served as the head coach of the men's cross country and track squads for 22 years between 1966-1988. He added the women's track and field and cross country programs to his head coaching duties in 1985 and wrapped up his 30th season with the women's program this May.

“My wife, my children, and coaching at Saint Joseph's have been the central part of my life for 49 years,” said Quinn. “I have been greatly blessed. Thanks to Marie, my children, the University, and all of the athletes, men and women, for truly making it a wonderful life.”

In July of 1989, Quinn was appointed to the position of assistant athletic director for facilities and was promoted to associate athletic director for facilities in 2001. Quinn also held the title of the director of track and field from 1966-2013.

In a total of 147 men's and women's cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track seasons that spanned 49 years, Quinn coached 40 NCAA qualifiers, nine NCAA All-Americans, and 10 ECAC/IC4A champions, as well as Saint Joseph's only NCAA champion, Donna Crumety, who claimed the 1991 title in the triple jump. Quinn coached 15 NCAA Track and Field Championships indoor qualifiers along with four Academic All-Americans, 11 Academic All-District selections and 50 Atlantic10 Academic All-Conference selections, including the 2001 A-10 Student Athlete of the Year, Gina Bundy.

"Kevin has been a valued treasure on Hawk Hill, not just because of the quantity and quality of his student-athletes and alumni, but because of the quality of the man,” said director of athletics Don DiJulia. “It's been our privilege, and we are most proud to have him represent SJU for so long as one of our finest student-athletes ever, and also as our Hall of Fame coach. He has inspired hundreds over the years to aspire greatness, as well as being persons for others. He's been unlike any other - colleague, mentor, friend, confidant. There will never be another KQ. Thank you, Coach!"

In 30 years with the Saint Joseph's women's track and field and cross country programs, Quinn coached five NCAA All-Americans and 14 NCAA qualifiers, five ECAC champions, 87 track champions, and 31 All-Conference cross country selections in the Atlantic 10, including nine A-10 Performers of the Year and one A-10 Rookie of the Year.

Quinn led the Saint Joseph's cross country and track and field programs to great heights during his tenure. His men's cross country squads won two Big 5 titles, while the 1984 men's track team turned in a seventh-place finish at the IC4A Championships. A two-time Atlantic 10 Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year, Quinn coached the 1993 and 2000 squads to the A-10 titles; the 1993 squad became the first women's athletic team at Saint Joseph's to claim an Atlantic 10 title.

In his 23 years with the Saint Joseph's men's track and field and cross country programs, Quinn coached four NCAA All-Americans and 26 NCAA qualifiers in addition to five IC4A champions.

An outstanding athlete in his own right, Quinn once held SJU records in the mile and two-mile runs and was the first American to cross the finish line of the 1961 IC4A Cross Country Championships, earning third overall. Quinn is a two-time MAC cross country individual champion, a two-time MAC mile champion and record holder, and a two-time NCAA qualifier in the mile. After graduating from Saint Joseph's, Quinn won the famed Berwick Marathon.

Quinn is a charter member of the Saint Joseph's Track Hall of Fame and a member of the Saint Joseph's Athletics Hall of Fame. He was also selected to the Middle Atlantic Conference Century 100 Cross Country Century Team in 2012.

Quinn currently resides in Havertown, Pa., with his wife, Marie. They are the parents of six children: Kevin, Marie, Sean, Kathleen, Colleen, and Brendan. Along with their father, five of the six children graduated from Saint Joseph's University.