KU News Release

June 12, 2009
Contact: Lynn Bretz, University Communications, 785-766-8616; Jim Marchiony, KU Athletics, 785-331-7378

University of Kansas mourns educator, former athletic director Bob Frederick

Update: A celebratory memorial for Bob Frederick is planned for 1 p.m. Wednesday, June 17 at the Lied Center on KU's west campus. Attire is casual.

LAWRENCE – Robert "Bob" Frederick, who served as athletics director at the University of Kansas longer than anyone except the legendary Forrest "Phog" Allen, died Friday, June 12 of injuries suffered June 11 in a bicycle accident. He was 69.

Since 2001, Frederick taught in and helped manage KU’s Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Science in the School of Education. He specialized in sport management, sport law and sport facilities.

Frederick's family issued the following statement: "We would like to thank our family and friends for their love and support during this difficult time. As an educator, coach and athletic director, our father touched many lives. He always wanted to live a life that mattered and he did."

Frederick donated his organs and his family would like to encourage others to become organ donors.

KU Chancellor Robert Hemenway, Athletics Director Lew Perkins and Dean of Education Rick Ginsberg released the following statements regarding Frederick’s death:

Hemenway: "On behalf of the entire Jayhawk nation, I offer my sincerest condolences to Bob Frederick’s family and friends. Bob was a class act who led by example, the epitome of good sportsmanship and ethical conduct. He has been a role model for countless student-athletes and educators, and KU is a better place because of him. Bob, his wife, Margey, and his sons Brian, Brad, Mark and Chris, and the rest of his family are in our thoughts and prayers."

Perkins: "Bob Frederick was an outstanding collegiate athletics administrator and, more importantly, a terrific human being, a loving husband and a great father. For him to be named chair of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee shows how widely respected he was in his field. And yet for all his success, his trademark was his sincere caring for student-athletes and coaches. He continued that legacy of caring into his work on the KU faculty. We will all miss him."

Ginsberg: "Bob Frederick was one of the finest gentlemen I have ever known. He was a superb teacher for the Department of Health, Sport and Exercise Science. For two years beginning in 2005 he served as interim chair of the department. He did an incredible job in guiding the department toward a stronger future. The university will be a different place without him."

Frederick became KU’s 12th athletics director in June 1987 and served in that position until July 2001. His 14-year tenure is the second-longest for a KU athletics director, behind Allen’s 19 years (1919-38).

Under the direction of Frederick, KU teams won 32 conference championships and a national title in men’s basketball in 1988 and produced 41 Academic All-Americans. During the 1992-93 academic year, KU became the first school to win a football bowl game, reach the men’s basketball Final Four and advance to the baseball College World Series in the same school year.

While athletic director, Frederick was the chair of the prestigious NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Committee in 1995 and 1996.

Frederick oversaw more than $50 million in facilities upgrades in his final 10 years as athletics director, including a $35-million renovation of Memorial Stadium and Allen Fieldhouse.

A Jayhawk for most of his career, Frederick earned all three of his degrees from KU – a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1962, a master’s degree in secondary school administration in 1964 and his doctorate degree in educational administration in 1984. He served as director of the Williams Educational Fund at KU from 1981-85. Before becoming KU athletics director, Frederick served in the same position at Illinois State from 1985-87.

Frederick played basketball at Kansas in 1960-61 under head coach Dick Harp. He was a KU assistant basketball coach under Harp from 1963-64 and later under Ted Owens in 1971-72.

He coached basketball at Rich Central High School in Illinois from 1964-66, Russell High School in Kansas from 1966-70, Coffeyville Community College from 1970-71 and Lawrence High School from 1977-81. He was an assistant coach at Brigham Young University from 1972-75 and Stanford University from 1975-77.

In 2001 Frederick received the NIT Distinguished Service Award. In 1997 the National Association of Basketball Coaches presented him with the Cliff Wells Appreciation Award for outstanding contributions to college basketball. That same year he was presented the Buford M. Watson Public Service Award by the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce. The NIT named him Man of the Year in 1996.

Bob Frederick Facts

• Born: March 4, 1940 in St. Louis, Mo.
• Wife: Margey
• Four sons: Brian, Brad, Mark and Chris
• Bachelor’s degree in chemistry, minor in social studies from Kansas in 1962
• Master’s degree in secondary school administration from Kansas in 1964
• Doctorate degree in educational administration from Kansas in 1984
• 1964-66 – KU assistant basketball coach
• 1966-70 – Russell High School basketball coach
• 1970-71 – Coffeyville Community College basketball coach
• 1971-72 – Kansas assistant basketball coach
• 1972-75 – Brigham Young assistant basketball coach
• 1975-77 – Stanford assistant basketball coach
• 1977-81 – Lawrence High School basketball coach
• 1981-85 – KU Assistant athletics director, executive director of Williams Educational Fund
• 1985-87 – Illinois State athletics director
• 1987-2001 – KU athletics director
• 2001-present – KU assistant professor, Health, Sport and Exercise Science

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