He managed the Rockford Expos in 1989 and 1990, the Harrisburg Senators in 1991 and 1992, the Ottawa Lynx in 1993, the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons in 1994 and 1995, the West Michigan Whitecaps in 1996, the Huntsville Stars in 1997, the Edmonton Trappers in 1998, the Vancouver Canadians in 1999, and the Iowa Cubs in 2003–06.

In 1997, he managed the West Michigan Whitecaps to a league championship and the Águilas Cibaeñas to win the Caribbean World Series.

In November 1999, he managed a team of minor leaguers representing the United States to a fourth-place finish at the IBAF International Cup held in Sydney, Australia.

Quade also served as the first base coach of the Oakland Athletics between 2000 and 2002[4] and was on the Chicago Cubs bench staff during the 2003 playoff run.

Quade, along with AA manager Pat Listach, were two Cubs minor league candidates interviewed for the job opening.

[6] On October 19, the "interim" label was removed from his job title, and he was given a two-year contract with a club option for a third year to remain as manager of the Cubs.