Former Golden Eagle Art Quarterman dies in Savannah at age 30
His playing career was cut short in 1996 due to medical reasons, and on Tuesday Tennessee Tech athletic officials learned of the death of former Golden Eagle basketball player and assistant coach Art Quarterman.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - His playing career was cut short in 1996 due
to medical reasons, and on Tuesday Tennessee Tech athletic
officials learned of the death of former Golden Eagle basketball
player and assistant coach Art Quarterman.
Quarterman, 30, died at a hospital in Savannah, Ga., on Tuesday. He
had moved back to his hometown from Idaho to be near his mother,
Stella. Funeral arrangements will be made by Williams &
Williams Funeral Home of Savannah, Ga. A 6-foot-8, 240-pound
forward, Quarterman transferred to Tech after two seasons at
Villanova and sat out one year due to NCAA transfer rules. He
played part of one season for coach Frank Harrell, joining Lorenzo
Coleman and Curtis Wiggins to give Tech an outstanding front court
in 1995-96.
Quarterman was voted to the OVC all-newcomer team, averaging 9.9
points and 5.4 rebounds per game. In January, he was named the OVC
Newcomer of the Week after scoring 35 points and grabbing 24
rebounds in two OVC victories, His career-high of 23 points
propelled Tech to a clutch league win at Morehead State.
However, it was a season interrupted numerous times by injury, and
prior to his senior season those injuries led to a diagnosis that
forced him to forego his final campaign.
On November 18, 1996, Tech announced that Quarterman would not
continue his playing career for medical reasons. He was diagnosed
with possibly having a
"connective tissue disorder known as Marfan's Syndrome, which can
become a disorder of the tissues of the organs including the heart
tissue," Harrell said.
So the coach put Quarterman on his staff as a student assistant for
the 1996-97 season.
"Art could have been one of the great players we've ever had at
Tech, and because of his positive personality, everybody took a
liking to him," said Harrell. "I don't know anybody who was around
Art who didn't like him. Art really had a passion for Tennessee
Tech basketball, and we all have lost one of our own.
"Our heartfelt condolences go out to his mother and his sisters,"
said Harrell.
Quarterman came back to Cookeville the past two years to
participate in the men's basketball alumni golf outing, taking time
off from his teaching/coaching position in Idaho. His teams won
four state championships at two different schools in Idaho,
Pocatello High School and Century High School, both located in
Pocatello.
"After his second season, because of all his medical problems he
was referred as a possible ?marfan syndrome" and because of that we
didn't let him play," said Harrell.
"After talking with his mother, and due to the fact that Art was
?uninsurable' due to his medical condition, persons desiring can
send contributions to his mother to assist with medical and burial
expenses. The address to send contributions is: Stella Quarterman,
142 Yamacraw Village, Savannah, Ga., 31401
