SAN JOSE, Calif. - Former Boston University player and coach David Quinn has been named head coach of the San Jose Sharks, the organization announced on Tuesday.
No other school now boasts more NHL head coaches than BU, as Quinn once again joins Mike Sullivan (Pittsburgh Penguins) and John Hynes (Nashville Predators) in the NHL head coaching ranks. That trio makes up 25% of all former NCAA players who are now NHL head coaches. In addition to Hynes and Sullivan, two other BU alumni have served as head coaches in the NHL. Joe Sacco was with the Colorado Avalanche from 2009-13 and Steve Stirling coached the New York Islanders from 2003-06.
Quinn is the third Terrier to join the Sharks organization recently. He was hired by Mike Grier, who was named San Jose's GM on July 5. In addition, former Terrier captain John McCarthy was appointed as head coach of the San Jose Barracuda, the Sharks' AHL affiliate, on May 18. BU is the only school in the country to have an alumnus as an ECHL head coach (Pete MacArthur), AHL head coach (McCarthy), NHL head coach and NHL general manager (Chris Drury/Grier).
"David has successfully coached at several different levels in his hockey career, including with Team USA on the international stage at the Olympics and leading the team at the World Championships to the bronze medal game," said Grier. "His experience in developing young players as a head coach at Boston University and at the NHL level over the last few seasons has proven to be effective. His previous NHL head coaching experience is valuable to us and he implements a system that will fit with our philosophy of being a hard team to play against. We are extremely happy to have him a part of this organization."
Quinn most recently coached the U.S. Men's National Team at both the 2022 Olympics and the 2022 World Championship. This is his second NHL head coaching job, as he led the New York Rangers from 2018-21 and compiled a 97-87-25 record with one of the youngest rosters in the league. While with the Rangers, Quinn coached 2021 Norris Trophy winner Adam Fox, who won the award in just his second season in the NHL.
Prior to taking over as the Rangers head coach, Quinn was the Terriers' head coach from 2013-18. He guided BU to four NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the 2015 national title game. Quinn coached BU to a pair of NCAA regional finals and also won two Hockey East regular-season titles and two Hockey East tournament championships en route to a 105-68-21 record, amassing the fourth-most coaching wins in program history.
An All-Hockey East and All-New England defenseman at BU and a co-captain during his senior year of 1987-88, Quinn came back to campus in 2004 to become the team's associate head coach, a role he served in for five seasons. Quinn's recruiting efforts were instrumental in helping build BU's 2009 national championship team. During his time as associate head coach, he worked primarily with the team's defensemen, turning the unit into arguably the best in the nation. All six of the defensemen from the 2009 title squad reached the NHL.
