LITTLE ROCK — The football landscape is a little different these days for Steve Quinn, who is coachingin high school for the first time since 1992.
An immediate perk for Benton's new coach?
Quinn saw his 16-yearold daughter, Hillary, at lunch during the first day of classesWednesday at Benton.
"It's kind of neat to actually be in the same high school that my daughter is attending," Quinn said. "First time we've ever been able to do that."
Having the ability to spend more time with his children is a major reason why Quinn, 45, took the job at Benton in January.
Quinn had eight previous coaching stops, lived in 12 houses in 18 years of marriage and seen his four children born in three states.
"I think he's going to enjoy it," said Quinn's older brother, Doug, who has coached Blytheville since 1989. "There's a lot of advantages there. Football jobs are 24/7, 365, in the high school ranks, nowadays. It's changed so much in the 22 years I've done this.
"But on the other side of the coin, you're not on the road recruiting - whenever football season is over - and there are times that you have available to spend quality family time. I think that's what he will enjoy."
Quinn hasn't coached in high school since he was offensive coordinator from 1989-1992 at Pascagoula, Miss.
He still brings a wealth of knowledge to Benton, a 6ASouth member that finished 2-8 the past two seasons under Marc Jones, now defensive coordinator at Camden Fairview.
Quinn spent the past eight seasons as coach at Southern Arkansas (he was 39-47 before being dismissed in November) and has worked as an assistant at Ouachita Baptist, Baylor, Northwest Missouri State, Eastern New Mexico, SAU and Northwestern (La.) State.
Quinn has been tutored by, among others, Buddy Benson at Ouachita Baptist, Grant Teaff and F.A. Dry at Baylor and Steve Roberts at SAU and Northwestern State.
Quinn and Roberts, who now coaches Arkansas State, also were teammates at Ouachita Baptist in the early 1980s.
"I've had a chance to watch him coach at the collegiate level, and he's very organized, knows his business and studies the game," Doug Quinn said of his younger brother. "He brings a lot of enthusiasm and organization. I think he'll bring excitement back, and fun. It's hard work and discipline - all the things and components that you have to have."
Whether all that immediately pays off with victories is another question.
Benton has had a talent downturn since Jones led the Saline County school to at least a share of three consecutive conference championships (2003-2005).
The Panthers also lack the trademark bulk and brute power of Dwight Fite's teams 20 years ago.
Quinn said Benton is slowly trying to incorporate the option out of the Spread, and new defensive coordinator Russ Pickett, a Camden native, plans to take a more aggressive approach in a 4-3 base look.
It's a case, Quinn said, of walking before running.
"I don't have a magic wand," Quinn said. "There is no pixie dust. We've got to do the best we can with what we have. Our biggest goal this year was to make sure that we've had great attitude and great effort. If we can go out there and play with great attitude and great effort, we'll kind of let it fall where it falls.
"To set up a program, that's got to be the first building block we establish."Steve Quinn POSITION Head coach, Benton High School AGE 45 FAMILY Wife, Jodi; daughters Hannah, Hillary; sons Nicholas, Troy EDUCATION Mena High School (1981), Ouachita Baptist (bachelor's degree in education, 1985); Baylor (master's degree in athletic administration, 1989) PREVIOIUS COACHING JOBS Ouachita Baptist (graduate assistant, 1986); Baylor (graduate assistant, 1987-1988); Pascagoula (Miss.) High School (offensive coordinator, 1989-1992); Northwest Missouri State (offensive line coach, 1993); Eastern New Mexico (offensive coordinator, 1994-1996); Southern Arkansas (assistant head coach, 1997-1999);
Northwestern (La.) State (assistant head coach, 2000); Southern Arkansas (head coach, 2001-2008); Benton High School (head coach, 2009-) NOTEWORTHY Offensive lineman at Mena High School and Ouachita Baptist. : Teammates at Ouachita Baptist included Arkansas State Coach Steve Roberts, OBU Coach Todd Knight and Fitz Hill, president of Arkansas Baptist College in Little Rock. : Younger brother of Blytheville Coach Doug Quinn. : Youngest son, Troy, shares the same birthday as Doug Quinn (Nov. 9). : Will turn 46 on Sept. 28.
Sports, Pages 28 on 08/23/2009