Like Father, Like Son

Quinn Curry grew up on the West Side of Chicago in the Garfield Park neighborhood with his parents and two little sisters. He attended George Westinghouse College Prep where he played basketball. Quinn is passionate about basketball and was able to share this passion with his dad, who was his basketball coach.

Fast forward after high school, Quinn attended Multnomah University where he received his bachelor’s in Business and Organizational Psychology while playing basketball. When deciding what he wanted to major in college, Quinn was transparent about not knowing what direction he wanted to take in life. “I think at 18, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life and didn't know what kind of skillset I had outside of basic athletics. I was trying to find something that was pretty broad, something that gave me a lot of options upon graduation, so you know business and psychology was a dual degree. Mainly I was looking for something that would give me the most options and allow me to figure out what I wanted to do,” said Curry. 

As Quinn was trying to figure out his life, the day of his college graduation he received an unexpected opportunity that shifted his plans for the future.  “That morning of graduation, my former head coach offered me a position on the coaching staff…I love basketball and I wanted to see where it goes and I always had a connection with coaching,” said Curry. “After that first year, I fell in love with it. It was a unique opportunity to still coach where I went to school, so I had a lot of relationships with professors, students, and the athletic department. I was lucky enough to have many people to invest in me in that area and my coaching career.” 

Now that Quinn is the Associate Head Coach of the Men’s Basketball team at his Alma Mater, he mentioned that he wants to be more than a coach to his players, but also a mentor like his dad. “So my career goal is to continue coaching, I’m open to any opportunities, whether that's college or the highest levels like professional, division 1, or down to where I’m at right now NAIA, which is what I love. I just want to make an impact in my players' lives and help develop them for whatever the next chapter may be upon their graduation. And in the process, if we could win some games that would be cool,” said Curry. 

To be a coach and a mentor, Quinn's biggest goal is to create community between his players, and growing up in Chicago helped him gain that skill set. “Growing up in Chicago is a unique situation and it is such a unique city because you have access to many different viewpoints and walks of life. Different kinds of people give you a great social education growing up. Looking back on growing up in Chicago it prepared me to be a coach. I have players on my team from a variety of different states, economic backgrounds, and religious beliefs. I have to be able to coach everyone well. One of my biggest jobs is to build culture within the group. I have 15 players and a couple of coaches and our biggest job is to make sure everyone is connected,” said Curry. 

One of the reasons building relationships has been a big value in Quinn’s life is the relationships he cultivated throughout his life. “Back when Kevin and Daniel were working [at Pursue Scholars] they were open to talk. Coming home for the summer and having many like-minded people who are also in school. Building connections with people was the most important thing for me. Receiving the care packages with the candy and everything was great. But for me, building those relationships with people who are truly invested in you and want to see you succeed was helpful,” said Curry. 

Another relationship that has impacted Quinn’s life is with his mentor Steve Pratt. Steve Pratt, is the founder of Full Package Athletics, where over the Summer in Chicago, Quinn would go help him coach high school athletes. “I was on the phone with him the other night for like 45 minutes. I think having the right people in your corner is so important, and I think most people talk about mentors as far as getting jobs, but I don’t think about it that way. I think about it more like helping you develop as a human being and as a leader. It’s a cherry on top when that person also works in a set career path as you. I have other mentors who are not in coaching, but Steve and I can talk for hours whether that's about basketball things or life in general,” said Curry. 

Now, as Quinn is growing in his career and developing his relationship with his players, he recently just received his master’s in management and leadership. With his future, he hopes to leave an everlasting impact on his players to help develop leadership. “I think as far as legacy goes, I want to have good relationships with the players that I coach. There are people out there who think winning X amount of games would be a great legacy. But I think also having a group of guys and developing relationships with people, those relationships last forever. I think I could positively impact people and impact my players through my relationships with them whether that’s through coaching or mentoring. [I want to] build strong relationships with as many of my players as possible and I think winning comes from that. Being successful in your job comes from doing things the right way and creating relationships with the people you are around. I've been reading a book lately called “Give and Take,” and it talks about how a lot of the most successful people in the world are givers. I just want to be a coach that gives, who gives everything to my players that leads us down a successful path and shows them how to be leaders when they move on,” said Curry.

Stories like Quinn's are the reason we are grateful for partners like you. Your gift to Pursue Scholars today will be actively investing in young Chicago leaders and helping them embark on a journey that will truly lead to change.