Quartaro Resigns from Position on Kansas Football Staff
Dec. 29, 2006
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Assistant football coach Nick Quartaro has resigned from his position on the University of Kansas football staff to pursue opportunities outside the coaching profession. A member of Head Coach Mark Mangino’s original staff at KU, Quartaro served five seasons as offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach for the Jayhawks. He was promoted to Associate Head Coach prior to the 2004 season.
“Nick has been a dedicated and important member of our coaching staff since his arrival at Kansas,” Mangino said. “He’s played a key role in the development of our program. We also appreciate the positive impact he’s had on our staff and team. I wish Nick and his family nothing but success and good fortune in the future.”
During his five years at Kansas, 19 offensive players earned All-Big 12 accolades including two athletes who were named Big 12 Newcomer of the Year — quarterback Bill Whittemore (2002) and center Joe Vaughn (2003).
In 2006, Quartaro directed an offense which averaged 176.9 rushing yards per game, the highest mark since the 1995 season. Senior running back Jon Cornish, an All-Big 12 First Team selection, became KU’s single-season record holder after rushing for 1,457 yards.
During KU’s 42-13 win over Houston in the 2005 Fort Worth Bowl, Quartaro’s offense set several KU bowl records, including most passing yards (340), most passing touchdowns (4) and most first downs gained (29).
In just his second season at KU in 2003, Quartaro helped orchestrate a Jayhawk offense which set 12 single-season school records, including most points (384), most touchdown passes (25) and most total yards gained (5,479).
Prior to his arrival in Lawrence, Quartaro was an integral part of the rebuilding processes at Iowa State and Kansas State as an assistant coach, and at Fordham and Drake as a head coach.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity to have coached at KU these last five years,” Quartaro said. “I have especially enjoyed working alongside the high character coaches who make up the staff, as well as with the quality young men whom I have coached.
“The respect for the Jayhawk football program among the Big 12 schools, as well as on a national level, has grown tremendously. With the leadership in place and facility improvements in the works, the program will continue to climb to greater heights.
“After 30 years of football being the central point of my work, I look forward to utilizing a lot of the same skills and attributes to help me in a new career path.”
–KU–
