The generous legacy of a beloved West Valley coach lives on in a local nonprofit stepping up for children in need across the Valley.
“He’d be smiling, I know he would love it,” said Maria Quinones.
As a huge donation of sports equipment arrived on her doorstep Friday, Maria and her family’s hearts and minds continue to heal through joy.
In 2021, Maria’s son Jose Quinones, better known in the community as Coach Q, passed away from COVID-19 at just 25 years old.
“We didn’t realize how much he did until he was no longer here,” said Maria.
Her son was a PE teacher, coach and athletic director at Imagine Desert West Middle School. After his death, stories of his incredible generosity quickly poured in.
He always kept a closet full of cleats, basketball shoes, dress shirts, slacks, and ties in all sizes to be handed over to kids who needed them most.
“It was filled with random sizes and ties, sports stuff, I was like, 'You don’t even play this anymore' and he was like, 'But somebody does,'” said his sister, Selena Quinones.
His motto was "I got you" and it’s one his family now carries on today through a nonprofit called Coach Q’s Closet.
“We looked at each other and said, 'Let’s keep it going, let’s provide for his kids and let’s keep supporting the community the way he would want us to,'” said Selena.
Since then, they’ve collected and given away sports equipment to underserved children across the Valley — thanks to donations from folks like Joe Calloway and the Sun City Softball Club.
“They’ve decided to carry on his legacy and we want to be a part of that,” said Calloway.
The nonprofit offers mentorship programs, sports fee scholarships, and, of course, equipment donations.
But more than anything else, it offers a chance for a part of Coach Q to live on forever.
“Doing coach Q’s closet, it’s a part of him that we get to keep,” said Maria.
The nonprofit will host a three-on-three basketball tournament at Imagine Desert West Middle School on Saturday, April 6th. They are looking for sponsors and more teams to sign up. All proceeds will go to putting more sports equipment in kids' hands.