By Harry Cummins
From his commanding position these days at the end of the Multnomah Lions bench, 26-year-old Associate Head Coach Quinn Curry has found a front row seat on the shimmering edges of a dream.
Basketball has always been the catalyst to Curry's twisting odyssey, transporting him from the hardscrabble streets of west Chicago to a master's degree in management and leadership from Multnomah University in Portland, Oregon.
Once Curry's own playing career at Multnomah concluded, which he modestly characterizes as "being a good teammate," his observable talent in skill development and statistical analysis landed him a job as assistant coach under then head coach Curt Bickley, who had earlier recruited him as a 5'9"guard.
When newly appointed coach Tayo Gem took control of the Lions last season, Curry was soon elevated to the title of Associate Head Coach. "After just a few conversations with Quinn, I quickly realized that this guy had the vibe of a future coach as he knew so much more about the game of basketball than just being an operations guy," says Gem, himself a former NCAA D-2 player and fellow Masters scholar.
Together, Gem and Curry have quietly coerced this malleable edition of the once mediocre Lions to a robust 10-3 start to the 2024-25 season and a coveted spot in the upper regions of the NAIA's rugged Cascade Collegiate Conference. It has also catapulted Curry closer to his own holy grail, the discovery of basketball "magic."
"You always hear stories about those special teams from way back that were able to bring together a diverse group of undervalued players that were able to create magic because of how connected they were," says Curry. "This is my passion, to try to get as close to making magic as possible."
Such transcendent destinations are not easily reached, concedes Curry, but can often be aided thru tried- and- true measurements. "There first needs to be an honest attitude about what needs to be improved," says Curry.
"Statistics often tell a coach where a player could improve. A different way to drive home this lesson while also creating connectively is to show a player how he can improve individually in specific categories that will most benefit the team"
Curry claims Multnomah seeks first to enlist the person rather than the player in their recruiting efforts. "I think listening to them talk about the game is huge. What a person loves about the game is important to me," says Curry.
"Do they play for status or to be cool? Or do they love being a part of a team? What is it that draws them into the game itself?"
Married to his wife Lydia last year, they share a home with two cats, Tallulah and Ezra. Quinn Curry has long maintained a fidelity to this Bible based Oregon school thru a series of changes in its leadership, the latest when Multnomah was purchased last year by Jessup University in California.
"I am grateful to Multnomah, and especially to Curt and Tayo, for giving me the opportunity to pursue my passion of coaching, relates Quinn.
Selflessness, professes Curry, is a huge part of living a satisfying life.
"What, then, is more rewarding than giving yourself to a group and perhaps seeing that group pull out something truly unforgettable."
Spoken like a true magician.
