Bob Quinn becomes third UConn grad to serve as professional sports GM.

Article and Photo Courtesy of UCONNHUSKIES.COM

University of Connecticut graduate Bob Quinn has been named the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the Detroit Lions. A press conference was held on Monday to announce his hiring. Quinn will oversee the Lions’ football operations and report directly to Owner and Chairman of the Board Martha Firestone Ford and President Rod Wood.

Quinn, native of Norwood, Mass., earned his master’s degree in sports management from UConn in 2000 and completed his undergraduate studies at UConn in 1998. He and his wife, Julie (a Storrs native), have a son, Kyle, and a daughter, Grace.

Before his 16-year tenure started with the Patriots, Quinn spent time as a graduate assistant in the athletics department at UConn.

Quinn becomes the second UConn graduate as a current NFL GM as former Husky All-American linebacker John Dorsey is with the Kansas City Chiefs. In addition, UConn graduate and former Husky pitcher Billy Eppler is the GM of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

“We are thrilled to have agreed to a deal with Bob to make him our new General Manager,” Wood said. “As Mrs. Ford indicated at the outset, our search would be national in scope, and we would do everything possible to identify the very best person to lead our football operation. We believe Bob is that person.”

For 16 seasons, Quinn has played an integral role in several aspects of the New England Patriots player personnel department. In the past four seasons, he served as the director of pro scouting after the team promoted him to that position in May 2012.

During his time with New England, Quinn helped the Patriots build one of the most impressive stretches in NFL history that produced four Super Bowl titles, including the most recent championship last season (Super Bowl XLIX). Since 2000, Quinn’s first year, the Patriots won six AFC Championships, 13 AFC East titles, 12+ games in a season 10 times (which includes the past six years) and 10+ games in 14 of his 16 seasons.

Quinn’s responsibilities have included both pro and college scouting during his tenure with New England. From 2009-11, Quinn was the Patriots’ assistant director of pro personnel. He worked, prior to that, in college scouting as the team’s national scout in 2008 and as a regional scout from 2004-07. Quinn served two seasons as a pro scout in 2002-03 after he joined the Patriots in 2000 as a player personnel assistant.