Floyd Quarrie is stepping into a major new role in Jamaican track and field. The USATF Level 3 certified coach has been appointed as a supporting coach at The University of the West Indies (UWI), where he will take charge of the women’s track programme starting September 1.

Quarrie enters the collegiate ranks with a proven track record, currently serving as an assistant coach in charge of sprints and hurdles at Immaculate Conception High School. He will remain at Immaculate while building out The UWI women’s team – a transition he views as a natural evolution in his career.

“I’m thrilled, excited, and always looking for a new challenge,” Quarrie told the Sunday Observer. “I find myself put in the same position as I was when I first came to Immaculate, it was pretty much in the same capacity when I came here, and it’s just pretty much with the intention of doing the same things I did at Immaculate, but now with a lot more experience and know-how as far as manoeuvring through the system. It’s just at the university level now.”

When Quarrie first started at Immaculate, he did so without as many formal credentials and years of experience he possesses today. Stepping onto The UWI campus with advanced certifications in hand gives him a stronger foundation to make an immediate impact.

Quarrie joins a well-rounded coaching staff that includes throws Coach Julian Robinson and jumps Coach DuWayne Campbell. He will also be working with UWI Head Coach Okeile Stewart, a long-time mentor with whom he has frequently exchanged ideas and training strategies over the years. Quarrie says their existing relationship makes for a seamless transition, though he clarified that his focus at The UWI will be strictly on the university’s student-athletes rather than Stewart’s private club, Swept.

While Quarrie plans to recruit talent from Immaculate and other local high schools in the future, he confirmed there will be no immediate crossover of athletes this season due to the timing of college signings.

A major asset for Quarrie in this new position is The UWI’s facility set-up at the Mona Bowl, which features a gym, pool, grass track, and the synthetic Usain Bolt track – which he collectively describes as “world class”. He sees these resources as vital to changing the university’s athletic narrative and establishing The UWI as a premier destination for student-athletes in the region.

“They have the facilities with a gym, pool, and track. They have a grass track as well at The UWI Mona Bowl and the Usain Bolt track, so having access those facilities constantly is a great plus,” he said. “It’s better than at the high school level because we don’t have the real estate at Immaculate as we do at UWI to facilitate a grass track and a synthetic track. So there’s a lot that UWI has to offer that a lot of persons aren’t aware of, and the challenge is UWI is in the position now that Immaculate was in a few years ago, where if you’re really into sports it’s not the school you’d choose, and UWI is deemed similarly. I think the sports department there has a mission of changing that narrative to grow where they can also function as one of the top universities within the region at an academic level, as well as for sports.”

For Quarrie, the appointment is also about contributing to the broader local track and field economy. He is passionate about proving to domestic athletes that they don’t need to move overseas to access elite, professional-level training, while also opening doors to attract international talent to Jamaica.

To give his complete focus to his dual roles at Immaculate and UWI, Quarrie has decided to dissolve his personal club, QPC Sports Club, with plans to revamp the venture in the future.

Looking ahead, his immediate focus is bringing quality athletes to The UWI and building a strong presence at the Intercol Championships. Long term, he aims to put the university on the international map beyond events like the Penn Relays, leveraging The UWI’s Faculty of Sports to prepare student-athletes both on the track and in their professional development.