Kansas Basketball Greats Gather to Honor Scooter Ward

It’s not often that so many former Kansas basketball legends are able to gather in one place, but they did so this week to honor the memory of a person who made an impact on each of them during their time at KU.

These former Jayhawks came to Lawrence to pay their respects to Dr. Scott “Scooter” Ward – a longtime KU Athletics mentor and academic advisor who most recently served as director of peak performance and leadership with the Student-Athlete Development department at the university.

Ward, aged 59, tragically passed away Jan. 3 of this year at the University of Kansas Health System due to complications from a major surgery in mid-December. A funeral Mass was held for him in Lawrence at Corpus Christi Catholic Church on Thursday, followed by a memorial at the newly built University of Kansas Conference Center attached to the new David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.

In attendance were some of the greatest players to ever put on a Kansas uniform – including Danny Manning, Kirk Hinrich, Nick Collison, Drew Gooden, and others. Many of the players appeared to attend a dinner with KU Athletics Director Travis Goff after the services.

Jayhawk Legends back to celebrate the life of our beloved Scooter Ward:

Aaron Miles, Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich, Cole Aldrich, Bryant Nash, Drew Gooden, and Jeff Hawkins. #RockChalk #Family pic.twitter.com/ReKxzBineQ
— Travis Goff (@tgoff11) February 13, 2026

“The KU community lost a major part of its heart and soul today,” Goff said on the day of Ward’s passing. “Scooter was a deeply beloved member of our Kansas Athletics family and has touched countless lives in profound ways. While we grieve his loss, we are grateful for the many ways he has made us all better people.”

Several current and former KU players and coaches paid homage to Ward when he passed, none more touching than the one issued by Kansas basketball coach Bill Self.

“Today we lost one of Kansas’ all-time great Jayhawks in Scott Ward,” Self said. “Scooter headed our academic program and ensured that every student-athlete who ever competed here was on the path to earning his degree. But he was much more than just an academic person to our players and to our staff.”

It’s clear that Ward made a lasting impact on the people who knew him – not just as an academic advisor – but as a person.

You can sense that by the fond words and memories that have been shared since his passing from media members, players, and coaches alike. It’s been a series of warm tributes to who was a seemingly very warmhearted man.

That’s a legacy that any one of us would be lucky to leave.