The family of Eric Quinn ’13 – an alumnus, former student golfer, and assistant golf coach at Oglethorpe who passed away last year – have established a new scholarship to honor his memory and legacy at Oglethorpe. This scholarship will serve as a lasting testament to Eric’s love for Oglethorpe and the impact he made on the OU community as both a student and a coach.

Coach Eric Quinn pictured in 2019 with the women’s golf team.

“Eric was the heart of our family, and when faced with this unbelievable loss, we wanted to find a way to continue his memory and legacy beyond his lifetime,” said Eric’s sister Kelley Quinn Coram. “Oglethorpe was such a big piece of Eric’s heart – the pride he had in his time on the golf team, the deep friendships he made in his fraternity, the relationships he built with his golf players as a coach – so when we thought about how to honor him, doing so at his alma mater just made sense.”

The Coach Eric Quinn ’13 Memorial Endowed Scholarship will be awarded to support a full-time rising junior or above at Oglethorpe who has demonstrated academic success and a dedication to giving back through a role as a mentor, coach or volunteer. Though not a requirement, consideration will be given to students with a compelling interest in sports, especially at Oglethorpe. It will be awarded for the first time in the 2024-25 academic year.

“Eric’s path for his journey through life was just becoming clear,” said Mike Quinn, Eric’s father. “He had his Oglethorpe education, his life partner Barbara, and his passion for playing and coaching golf. He was that rare individual lucky enough to make a career combining all elements of his being. I know he’s proud to be able to extend these opportunities to others through this scholarship.”

Eric graduated from Oglethorpe with a bachelor’s degree in economics, and a notable collegiate golfing career. He was a member of the 2012 NCAA Division III National Championship-winning Oglethorpe men’s golf team and helped the Petrels earn the No. 1 national ranking for much of the 2012-13 season. He was the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) player of the year in 2012, an all-American in 2013, and ranks fifth all-time in Oglethorpe history with four major tournament wins in his career. A two-year captain for the Stormy Petrels, Eric made the all-conference team all four years of his career and set the SCAC championship record for best first-round score of 67 in 2012. His 54-hole score of 213 ranks No. 3 all-time for SCAC championship scoring.

After graduation, he competed in many events on the Peach State Pro Tour and the Open Golf Atlanta Tour. Eric returned to Oglethorpe in 2015 as assistant golf coach, primarily assisting on the women’s side. During seven seasons with his alma mater, Eric helped lead the Petrels to unprecedented success, including seeing the women’s program’s first all-America first team selection, Sarah Hsu ’23, under his watch.

Endowed scholarships like this one are established through an initial donation that is invested to create opportunities for future generations of students. The principal investment is held in perpetuity, with an annual allocation from the investment income used to provide scholarship funds to Oglethorpe students each year.

“Our family is fortunate in that Eric and I were both able to attend and love our time at private universities, but that is not everyone’s reality. My hope with this scholarship is two-fold: First, I hope that we establish this and grow the endowment over time so that we can truly impact a student’s ability to attend and thrive at Oglethorpe, just as Eric did, with a lesser financial burden. Second, I hope that the scholarship continues to grow Eric’s connection with the Oglethorpe community,” said Coram.

“He had such a positive impact on those around him as a student and later as a coach. I hope new people get to know about him and love him as much as we do, and that it can give back to the community that he loved.”

If you’d like to learn more about how you can contribute to this scholarship fund in Eric’s memory, please visit: support.oglethorpe.edu/giving/areas-support/eric-quinn-memorial.