Remembering Dr. Scott “Scooter” Ward with Tyrel Reed

Remembering Dr. Scott “Scooter” Ward with Tyrel Reed

From The Jayhawker by Greg Gurley and Wayne Simien

January 9, 2026 · 33 min

About this episode

The episode reflects on the life and impact of Dr. Scott 'Scooter' Ward through personal stories shared by Tyrel Reed.

In this episode of The Jayhawker Podcast, hosted by Nate Bukaty, we mourn the passing of beloved KU Athletics administrator Dr. Scott Ward  affectionately known as “Scooter.” Nate is joined by former KU men’s basketball standout Tyrel Reed, who shares personal stories from his long relationship with Scooter. Together, they reflect on who Scooter was as a person, the profound impact he had on countless student-athletes, and how Tyrel viewed him as a father figure both on and off the court. The conversation also highlights how Scooter’s disability never slowed him down or kept him from doing what he loved. The episode closes with a discussion of KU men’s basketball’s thrilling overtime comeback win against TCU, and how Tyrel felt Scooter’s presence during that magical night in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawker Podcast is presented by the University of Kansas Health System and by Xfinity, get the smartest WiFi only for Xfinity, imagine that! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

People in this episode

Host: Nate Bukaty

Guest: Tyrel Reed

Topics covered

  • remembering a beloved figure
  • impact on student-athletes
  • personal stories
  • basketball
  • community
  • overcoming disability

Keywords

  • Dr. Scott Ward
  • Tyrel Reed
  • Nate Bukaty
  • KU Athletics
  • basketball
  • disability
  • Allen Fieldhouse
  • TCU

Sponsors

University of Kansas Health System, Xfinity

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: KU Athletics

Places: Allen Fieldhouse

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