Staff Directory

Patrick Schrater

Title:
Assistant Coach / Recruiting Coordinator
Email:

Patrick Schrater is in his fourth season as an assistant coach at Kansas and his first as the Jayhawks' recruiting coordinator in 2026-27. He returned to Kansas in July 2023 after previously serving as a graduate assistant on Brandon Schneider's staff from 2019-21.

Since returning to KU, Schrater has assisted on teams that all finished with winning records and twice advanced to the postseason. The Jayhawks were selected for the NCAA tournament in 2024 and advanced to the semifinals of the WBIT in 2026.

The 2025-26 season saw the dynamic duo of S'Mya Nichols and Jaliya Davis lead the Jayhawks to 22 wins and a semifinal appearance in the WBIT. Both players were named All-Big 12 First Team selections, with Nichols setting the school record for free throws made for the second straight season. Davis put together one of the most memorable freshman campaigns in Big 12 history, being named a unanimous Big 12 Freshman of the Year after averaging better than 20 points per game in league play. After missing 10 games due to injury, Davis returned at the start of conference play and was named the Big 12 Freshman of the Week nine consecutive times, setting a new power conference record for consecutive awards in the process.

The Jayhawks won the Paradise Jam Island Division Championship to highlight the 2024-25 campaign, which finished with a fourth-consecutive winning record of 16-14. Kansas averaged 3,682 fans per game at Allen Fieldhouse, marking the second-largest average attendance in program history, and had a 15-game winning streak that spanned nearly the entire calendar year of 2024. S'Mya Nichols earned All-Big 12 First Team honors for the second consecutive season and received All-America Honorable Mention from the WBCA, while Elle Evans (honorable mention) and Regan Williams (All-Freshman Team) also received Big 12 honors.

In his first season as an assistant, Kansas reached the NCAA Tournament for the 15th time in program history. The Jayhawks finished the 2023-24 season with a record of 20-13 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Kansas had three wins over Top 25 opponents and two wins over Top 10 opponents, both accomplishments happening for the first time since 1999-2000. KU picked up its first win over a Top 5 opponent since 2009 with an 87-66 victory over then-No. Baylor on Jan. 10, 2024, which was also KU’s first win over the Bears since 2014.

The Jayhawks were led by four All-Big 12 honorees, including First Team selections Taiyanna Jackson and S’Mya Nichols, along with Holly Kersgieter and Zakiyah Franklin, who earned honorable mention. Jackson was also named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team for the third time and earned WBCA All-America Honorable Mention for the second-straight season. Following the season, she became KU’s first WNBA Draft selection since 2015 when she was picked in the second round by the Connecticut Sun.

Schrater comes to Kansas after two seasons as an assistant coach at Pittsburg State. In two seasons at Pittsburg State, Schrater helped the Gorillas to a 65 percent winning percentage. In 2022-23, PSU was 23-8 and finished fourth in the MIAA with a 17-5 league record. The Gorillas advanced to the NCAA Division II national tournament for the first time in four seasons and defeated No. 2 seed Nebraska-Kearney before falling in the regional semifinals. Pitt State led the MIAA in scoring that season, averaging 76.7 points per game.

Schrater was a graduate assistant on Schneider’s staff from 2019-21. The Jayhawks finished 15-14 during the 2019-20 season for the program’s first winning season in seven years and KU was in position to earn a postseason tournament berth prior to the COVID-19 cancellation.

Before coming to Kansas, Schrater was a practice player and student assistant at Emporia State for five seasons. While at ESU, where he coached under former Kansas and current North Dakota State head coach Jory Collins, Schrater was a part of four teams that advanced to the NCAA Division II national tournament, including a final four appearance in 2015.

A native of Valley Center, Kansas, Schrater graduated from Emporia State in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in business management. He later earned a master’s degree in digital content strategy from KU in 2021.

THE SCHRATER FILE
Alma Mater: Emporia State, 2018; Kansas, 2021
Hometown: Valley Center, Kan.

COACHING EXPERIENCE
2026-Present: Kansas (Assistant Coach/Recruiting Coordinator)
2023-26: Kansas (Assistant Coach)
2021-23: Pittsburg State (Assistant Coach)
2019-21: Kansas (Graduate Assistant)
2014-19: Emporia State (Student Assistant)