Spain Park’s basketball team has its new leader. The Jaguars opted to promote Donnie Quinn from a lead assistant for both the boys and girls programs to head coach of its varsity boys team.
The 60-year-old Quinn was approved by Hoover City Schools on Thursday afternoon during personnel actions by the board after a work session.
It is a hire that will come with great expectations. The Jaguars will return the 2015 Birmingham Metro Player of the Year for the next two seasons. 6-foot-10 Spain Park and the rest of the state with a late four-point play for a 56-55 victory.
"We were very successful and played a good brand of basketball," Quinn said. "I thought we were fun to watch and a lot of the stuff we did with Neal is going to stay the same. … You know when it really comes down to it, I didn't really trust anyone else to lead the guys on this team. There are other guys out there who are qualified to coach this team, but the way I feel is if Neal couldn't come back to coach the team then I wanted to be the guy. I didn't trust anyone else to do it. That's just how I feel about it."
Quinn guided Hoover's girls to Class 6A state titles in 2010 and 2012 before joining the Alabama program as an assistant under former women's coach Wendell Hudson. Quinn was not retained when Alabama hired Kristy Curry prior to the 2013-2014 season. He amassed a 157-16 record in five seasons at Hoover.
He coached boys basketball for 15 years in Louisiana then another 12 seasons of his varsity career coaching the girls. He returned to Spain Park for the 2013-2014 school year as an assistant coach who held dual roles with the boys and girls basketball teams.
Quinn also served as an assistant women’s basketball coach at Louisiana-Monroe from 1995-2000.
"I'd like to take this time to express my appreciation to (Hoover City Schools Interim Superintendent) Dr. Jim Reese and Spain Park principal Ken Jarnigan and athletic director Patrick Kellogg with all of this," Quinn said. "They all had enough faith in me to put this team in my hands. I'm thankful for the trust they have in me to handle the possibility of winning but also all the dynamics that are going to take place on this team. I'm thankful for those guys, but I am also grateful for the work (former coach) Brian Moon did starting the program and the job Neal Barker did to build it up over the last few years."
Kellogg said there were approximately 50 applicants for the position. He said the system conducted interviews with six candidates, but declined to share the names of those individuals.
"Donnie Quinn checked it all off for us," Kellogg said. "Championship coach. Spain Park guy. Yet more importantly he's a great person who will be great for our kids. Do you want me to keep going? I can because I am just really happy today about our new basketball coach."
His new hire will be tested early. Quinn said the Jaguars are set to play in two prestigious national events. Spain Park will play in a "Tournament of Champions" in Chicago during November and the City of Palms in December. His new team will also be a part of the Steel City Invitational, he said.
Jeff Sentell covers prep sports for AL.com and the Birmingham News. Follow him on Twitter for the latest high school cool across Alabama.
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