SALISBURY, MD—This spring, one of Salisbury University’s most notable alumni, Washington Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn ’94, will serve as the Commencement speaker, celebrating his Alma Mater’s 100th graduating class.
In January, Washington Commanders Head Coach Dan Quinn led the team to its first National Football Conference championship game since 1991 — back when he was a junior at SU. He will now offer words of encouragement to SU’s Class of 2025 during the undergraduate ceremony, scheduled Thursday, May 22, at Sea Gull Stadium.
A prelude to the SU Centennial celebration, beginning in September, the event will mark the return of multiple traditions: Spring Commencement will be held on campus for the first time since the 1970s, and Quinn will serve as the University’s first non-student Commencement speaker since 2001.
As a student, Quinn was a two-sport athlete, excelling in track and field and football. He was inducted into the SU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2005. While at SU, he met Stacey, an athletic trainer. The two have been supporters of SU ever since, creating three endowments, benefitting football, track and field, and athletic training.
On the gridiron, he was a feared defensive lineman, recording 145 total tackles. A regular in the lineup during his final three years, Quinn played in all 28 games, with 135 tackles, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery and one interception, which he returned for a touchdown. As a thrower on the track and field team, Quinn set the school record in the hammer throw (168’ 8”), which stood for nearly 20 years, until 2012.
Quinn rose through the coaching ranks following his graduation from SU, in assistant coaching roles with the San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins and New York Jets. As a defensive coordinator with the Seattle Seahawks, he went to the Super Bowl twice, winning in 2014 as his defense put on an incredible show against Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos in a 43-8 victory.
After a six-year stint as head coach of the Atlanta Falcons, including another Super Bowl appearance in 2017, Quinn spent the three seasons leading the Dallas Cowboys’ defense, one of the best in the NFL in that time, before getting the call to head to Northwest Stadium.
Off the field, Quinn has received some of the league’s most prestigious honors, including the Associated Press NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award in 2021.
Admission to Commencement is by ticket only.
Learn more about SU and opportunities to Make Tomorrow Yours at www.salisbury.edu.
