Naperville North athletic director Bob Quinn knew he needed a plan for retirement.
The final day of Quinn’s 38-year career in education will be June 28.
“We’re working 60-70 hours a week, and it gets crazy,” he said. “To go to zero overnight is worrisome, for sure. You’ve got to have a purpose.”
Quinn found one, becoming part of the grounds crew at Wrigley Field. It’s a dream job for Quinn, an ardent Cubs fan and former baseball coach at Wheaton Warrenville South.
Quinn was alerted to the job opening by close friend Bill Seiple, a retired Naperville Central baseball coach who is an official scorekeeper for the Cubs and White Sox.
Quinn’s first game at Wrigley was May 6. The following day, he was standing down the right field line in the bottom of the ninth inning, ready to help put the tarp on the field, when Michael Busch hit a walk-off home run against the San Diego Padres.
“It started pouring, and then the first pitch he hit it out, and we got to go out there, and I was on the field when they were playing ‘Go Cubs Go,’” Quinn said. “It was unbelievable. I’m an old baseball guy, so it’s pretty cool.”
Quinn’s colleagues are pleased for him.
“It’s perfect for Bob,” Naperville North boys basketball coach Gene Nolan said. “He’s a lifelong Cubs fan, and for him to be in a position where he’s not only with the Cubs but on the field, we’re thrilled for him. But he’s going to be dearly missed here.”
Indeed, there is a bittersweet air in advance of Quinn’s departure. Thirteen of the school’s 32 state championships have been won during Quinn’s 10-year tenure, but he calls that merely icing on the cake.
“I’ve had a great career,” said Quinn, who spent six years as athletic director at Wheaton Warrenville South and five more as athletic director at his alma mater, Loras College. “I’ve just been blessed everywhere I’ve been.
“We’ve had unbelievable success on the scoreboard. There are thousands of ADs across the country that work hard and do things the right way and don’t get a chance to experience those things that we experience here every year. We’re very fortunate in that regard.”
The people who know Quinn best say Naperville North was fortunate to have him.
“Bob is a great athletic director, and he’s a great man,” Nolan said. “His passion for kids and the meaning of sports and leveraging the teachable moments for kids is contagious.
“Bob is a visionary leader, and he’s the type of person you want to work for. He really makes you feel part of a team and a purpose. Everyone is going in the same direction, and Bob is the leader of that.”
Quinn’s predecessor as athletic director was Naperville North boys soccer coach Jim Konrad, who had the job for three years until Naperville Community Unit School District 203 passed a rule barring athletic directors from also coaching a sport. Konrad has since led the Huskies to three state titles.
“The decision to leave was really hard for me, but the pull of coaching was so important,” Konrad said. “As someone who cares about North so much, I was really worried about who was going to take over.
“Then came that fortuitous night that we found out Bob was looking to come back to the suburbs and become an AD again at the high school level. When you can get a guy like Bob with an incredible amount of experience running a super performing high school like Wheaton Warrenville South, plus the college experience, you hit the jackpot, and that proved to be true.”
Quinn dealt with some adversity during his tenure. He was treated for colon cancer in 2018-19 and led the athletic program through the coronavirus pandemic. His proudest moment came in July 2020, when the entire coaching staff united to help hundreds of student-athletes complete socially distanced training sessions.
Quinn said working with great people was the best part of his time at Naperville North. He cited the support he got from the administrative team led by Principal Stephanie Posey, coaches, parents and students.
“We do things the right way,” Quinn said. “The culture we have right now is terrific, and I’m proud of that.”
Konrad is confident that culture will continue under new athletic director Jon Pereiro, who takes over July 1.
“I feel fortunate that I’ve become close friends with Bob and lucky that he’s been my boss for the last 10 years,” Konrad said. “We’ll be in each other’s lives forever, but I’m really sad to see him leave North.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter.