Quinn Fleeting, a Windsor High graduate who led his alma mater’s football team to its first state championship since 2014 this season as the interim head coach, has resigned.
Fleeting, son of former coach Rob Fleeting, took over the position in July after his father was named assistant principal at the school and was told he would not be allowed to coach the football team anymore. At the time, Quinn Fleeting had been the team’s offensive coordinator for the previous four years.
Windsor went 12-1 and defeated Bunnell 23-13 in the Class MM championship game at Central Connecticut on Dec. 13. It was the Warriors’ second straight trip to the final, but they lost the game in 2024 on a last-second field goal.
Quinn, who played for his father at Windsor and had been an assistant coach since his graduation from Western Connecticut in 2018, said he had been unhappy with the “interim” title since he was hired.
Quinn Fleeting (right), who played quarterback at Western Connecticut State University before graduating in 2018, and his father, former Windsor High coach Rob Fleeting. (Courant file photo)
“They stated before the season started it would be an interim position; which I didn’t agree with in the first place,” Quinn said. “There was a lot of stuff going on above me. When (the media) were interviewing me before the season, I got a call from the school saying, ‘Make sure you say you’re the interim coach, not the head coach.’
“There was an email that stated, after the season, during a more strategic hiring window, that they would search for a more highly qualified candidate. That was right before the season started. That was kind of a slap in the face.”
Last July, Rob Fleeting said that the “interim” title was due to the timing of the hire, and that he hoped that the school would keep his son on after the season.
“I think they’ll have a good year this year,” Rob said last July. “The coaches are still there and the system is in place and hopefully they’ll keep him on longer than interim.”
Noha Abdel-Hady, the Windsor public schools’ acting superintendent, said in an email that Quinn Fleeting “was appointed as interim head coach to ensure continuity and stability for student-athletes following an unexpected leadership transition close to the start of the season. At that time, the district determined that initiating a full recruitment process would not allow for a strategic, thorough search. The interim appointment allowed the program to move forward responsibly while preserving the integrity of the permanent hiring process, which is governed by district policy and collective bargaining agreements.”
Quinn Fleeting said the head coaching job was posted Dec. 23, 10 days after the team won the title, and that he was disappointed he was not notified by the school that it was posted.
“Someone called me and told me,” he said. “I said, ‘I didn’t even know it was open already.’ I thought a conversation or something would be had, like ‘Hey, just to let you know, we’re going to open this up’ … some type of a dialogue. Something.”
Abdel-Hady, when asked about the job posting, responded in an email: “The head football coach position was posted in late December in accordance with district policies, procedures, and collective bargaining agreements that govern all hiring decisions. Mr. Fleeting was aware of the posting and of the district’s legal obligation to follow established hiring protocols. He was encouraged to apply, as the district viewed him as a qualified candidate.”
Quinn said he met with Windsor High athletic director Chris Fulton for an end-of-year interview and told Fulton he was not going to coach anymore.
“I just thanked him for supporting me through the process,” Quinn said. “I did tell him I felt kind of bad because I put him in a tough position but going through this whole process helped me realize that maybe I just need to take a step back. I don’t want to deal with politics. I got two boys to raise; I’m just going to focus on being a father.”
Abdel-Hady said in the email that while the district recognized and appreciated the success of the football program, established hiring procedures had to be followed.
“No individual is automatically appointed to a permanent position, regardless of past achievements,” she wrote. “After the position was posted, Mr. Fleeting informed the district that he chose not to apply, as he decided to step away from the role to focus on his career and his young children. We respect and support that decision.”
