Scott “Scooter” Ward, an esteemed longtime academic advisor who most recently served as KU Athletics’ director of peak performance and leadership, died on Saturday, his wife Robin wrote in a post on Facebook. He was 59.
“This man — Scott ‘Scooter’ Ward, son, brother, friend, husband, dog dad, counselor, coach, advisor, inspiration — was such a gift to us and to the world,” Robin Ward wrote on Saturday night. “He was full of life and sometimes larger than life, so it’s so hard to tell you that his time on this earth came to a close today after struggling to recover from surgery last month.
“If you knew him, you know. And to all of you who knew him well, I say this: There aren’t enough words to thank you for your kindness and for the joy you have brought into his life.”
Originally from Kingman, Ward earned his bachelor’s, master and doctoral degrees in education from KU and worked as an instructor before joining the athletic department in its academic support program in the summer of 2003 — meaning he has been a fixture throughout the entirety of Bill Self’s 23-season tenure as head coach.
He worked primarily with the men’s basketball and volleyball teams in his original role. More recently, according to his KU bio, Ward has served as more of a mental performance coach and coordinator of support services.
“Scooter, as people have known that’s followed us for years, has been an original staff member,” Self said in a pregame radio interview on Saturday, before the news of Ward’s death became public. “He has probably done more for our athletes, maybe than anybody.”
He continued: “This is something that will impact our players, especially the ones that basically are holding degrees because of the work Scooter did with them … until he had his first torn aorta. The guy’s so tough he’s gotten through two torn aortas.”
The KU community rallied around Ward as he battled multiple medical issues over the course of the last decade. Ward used a wheelchair for much of his life as a result of a severe spinal injury during his freshman year at Hutchinson Community College in 1986. After Ward dealt with a torn aorta in 2016, Self said, “He’s the best role model the guys can have. He’s as tough a human being as I’ve ever been around. He’s been through more than most of us will ever go through.”
Ward also contended with kidney disease and skin maladies. In 2020, a GoFundMe page organized by Ward’s roommate and friend Mike Evers raised $167,000 for his care as he was headed to the Mayo Clinic to fight the skin condition.
Evers wrote on the GoFundMe page, “He literally changes people’s lives for the better every day with a body full of organs that have tried to quit on him. He is a selfless Superman.”
Just as KU players frequently credited him for his aid during their collegiate careers, many people in Ward’s orbit chimed in with remembrances as the news of his death spread on Saturday.
Former Jayhawk Mario Little posted on X: “RIP to Scott Scooter Ward! A real Jayhawk! Took care of so many of us. From Wayne (Simien’s) class to Class of 2025.”
“He was a legend among KU players,” former KU center Matt Kleinmann wrote on Facebook, suggesting that Ward should have his name featured in the rafters of Allen Fieldhouse, as the late broadcaster Max Falkenstien does. “Many of us owe our educational journey to his persistence and grace. He managed to always be both the kindest and coolest person in the room, in a career that spanned decades and where he mentored thousands of Jayhawks.”
