Baylor School has reached into the college ranks once again for its next boys' basketball coach.
Quinn McDowell, who most recently worked as an assistant at Longwood University — an NCAA Division I program in Farmville, Virginia — was named the Red Raiders' new coach on Friday.
He takes over for Mark Price, who recently stepped down after six seasons as head coach to concentrate more on his role as the school's athletic director. Price was hired by Baylor after working for several seasons as an assistant at Belmont University in Nashville.
The Baylor football program also hired from the college ranks two years ago when Erik Kimrey left the University of South Carolina, where he had been a tight ends coach, to take over the Red Raiders. He led them to the TSSAA Division II-AAA state title in his first season and a runner-up finish last year.
McDowell also worked previously at Lehigh University, where seven players he coached earned all-conference honors during his time there, as well as Taylor University, an NAIA program, and Virginia Wesleyan University, an NCAA Division III school.
"The Baylor School speaks for itself in a lot of ways," McDowell told the Times Free Press by phone. "The standard of excellence throughout the whole school aligns with my philosophy to build leaders through the game of basketball. After meeting with the administration and faculty, and some of the students, I felt this was a perfect match for me and my family.
"College is changing in a lot of ways, not all bad ways, and the opportunity to work at a place like Baylor gives you a lot of the same aspects of college as far as the facilities, resources and players. It mirrors the college experience in a lot of aspects. On top of that, you throw in the community, both at Baylor and in Chattanooga, and it was a dream job for our family and for me to get to be a head coach."
Contributed photo / Quinn McDowell, whose hire as Baylor School's boys' basketball coach was announced Friday by the Red Raiders, brings college experience to the prep program as a former NCAA Division I assistant.After joining the Longwood staff prior to the 2022-23 season, McDowell helped the Lancers close out a run of three consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time in program history and earn the Big South Conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament this year.
As a collegiate player, he was a four-year starter at William & Mary, where he was a two-time all-conference selection and a team captain for two years. He was also one of four players in program history with at least 1,600 points and 500 rebounds, and he set program records for both games played and minutes played in a career.
He went on to become the only two-time winner of the Colonial Athletic Conference Dean Ehlers Leadership Award and was also named the conference's scholar athlete of the year in 2009.
"I'm incredibly proud to welcome Quinn McDowell as our next head basketball coach at Baylor School," Price said in a news release. "Our student-athletes will reap tremendous benefits on and off the court from Quinn's leadership and mentorship."
After college, McDowell competed for four years in professional basketball leagues, including the NBA G League. He also played in Australia, Russia and Spain.
"I am thrilled to welcome Coach McDowell and his family to the Baylor family," Chris Angel, Baylor's head of school, said in the release. "Quinn is not only recognized nationally for his expertise in basketball, but he is also revered for his exemplary character, embodying integrity, dedication, and a positive spirit that inspires both on and off the court.
"With his proven track record of leadership and success, we are confident that his guidance will empower our student-athletes to excel and uphold the proud values of Baylor. We eagerly anticipate this exciting new chapter in Baylor basketball."
The Red Raiders have not reached the four-team DII-AA state tournament since a run of three straight appearances from 2018 to 2020. Their 2018 appearance ended in the title game, matching the best finish in program history; Baylor was also the runner-up in 2002.
Contact Stephen Hargis at shargis@timesfreepress.com.