Southern Connecticut State Mourns Sudden Passing of Coach Tim Quill
Southern Connecticut State on Wednesday announced the death of head coach Tim Quill. He was 58 years old.
Quill spent 28 years leading the Owls men’s and women’s swim teams, turning them into significant players in the Northeast 10 Conference and nationally in Division II. He led the Owls to 34 NE10 titles (17 men, 17 women), along the way being voted Coach of the Year by his peers on 28 occasions.
Since 2008, he mentored 10 NE10 Swimmer of the Year and five Divers of the Year on the men’s side and nine Swimmers of the Year and seven Divers of the Year on the women’s side. He coached Ben Michaelson to 10 NCAA titles in butterfly and freestyle from 2001-03. Raymond Cswerko won an NCAA championship in 2014. Kristen Frost won three NCAA titles and set three NCAA records in 2008, and Amanda Thomas won three NCAA championships from 2011-13.
Michaelson recently visited with Quill, the two spending time together in Fort Lauderdale when SCSU was on a training trip.
Quill also coached at SoNoCo Swim Club, mentoring athletes that qualified for U.S. Olympic Trials and the Pan American Games.
Quill graduated from Alfred University in 1989, where he was a four-time All-American swimmer. He’s survived by his wife, Brenda, and children Lilianna and Timothy, both current SCSU students.
From a university release:
Tim established a standard of excellence that transcended the pool. His impact on our programs was truly historic. During his longtime extraordinary 28-year tenure leading the Owls’ men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs, Quill established a standard of excellence that transcended the pool. …
Tim embodied everything we strive for at Southern Connecticut State University. For nearly three decades, he poured his heart into our swim and diving program, shaping not only champions in the pool but remarkable young people beyond it. His commitment, his steadiness, and his genuine care for our student athletes made him a pillar of this community. Tim’s legacy is one of service, mentorship, and heart. We honor his life, his work, and the profound mark he left on every student he coached.
Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.