8 March 2023
LAWRENCE (KSNT)- Fred Quartlebaum is an essential part of KU men’s basketball.
The Jayhawks’ Director of Basketball Operations recently sat down with 27 Sports Director Glenn Kinley for an exclusive interview. The full interview aired on K-Nation Sunday night.
There’s plenty to talk about with Quartlebaum. Coach Q joined the Jayhawks in 2013 and has nearly 30 years of coaching experience. He’s been an assistant coach on Team USA and even has his own book.
Quartlebaum knows Bill Self is special. He also knows the KU students and other fans make their program special.
“First and foremost it starts with our student body here,” Quartlebaum said. “Their engagement, their energy, their excitement and their passion for the University of Kansas.”
As for what makes Coach Self so good:
“What sets Coach Self apart from so many… is he is a team builder, he’s a relationship builder and he’s a culture builder,” Quartlebaum. “And he does it on a consistent basis. I see it every day.”
Coach Q takes pride in helping KU basketball maintain an elite culture.
“For our culture it starts with showing up every day,” Coach Q said. “Come to work, come to practice to learn and grow. Be present, be coachable. But it also talks about ownership… Ownership is really really important.”
He adds KU is experience driven and the men around each other pour into one another.
Quartlebaum co-authored a book called ‘The Positivity Tribe in the Locker Room.’
“There are a lot of messages about team work, about culture, about fighting through adversity,” Quartlebaum said. “It’s a book for all ages. It’s a book for businesses, organizations, teams.”
K-Nation airs every Sunday night on KSNT 27 News.