‘Coach Q.’s Closet’ helping kids and honoring a beloved West Valley coach

PHOENIX (AZFamily) — Jose Quinones was only 27 when he passed away from COVID-19 a few years ago: a husband, brother and son. At Imagine Desert West Middle School in Phoenix, he’ll forever be “Coach Q.”

“His favorite saying was, ‘I got you,’” his mother Maria said. “He would tell that to everybody. ‘I got you.’ And we just want to continue that.”

Jose was the athletic director on campus and started working at the school when he was 18.

“If [students] came up to him, whether it’s a school issue or a personal issue, he was going to help them,” said Joseluis Lozano, assistant principal at Imagine Desert West Elementary School. “He wouldn’t turn them away.”

By all accounts, Joe was like a big brother to everyone, with four siblings of his own.

“He really took me with him everywhere,” his sister Selena said. “I always knew he had my back and taught me to have other people’s backs.”

Jose’s passion for the community is what inspired his mom and sister to create the organization Coach Q’s Closet. The non-profit gets young athletes equipment and everything they need to play ball.

“We couldn’t afford for him to play club ball, so he played at the parks, he played at the rec center,” Maria said. “He played with the school, so this tournament provides that opportunity.”

The family is hosting a three-on-three basketball tournament in Joe’s honor on Saturday. It’s free for the kids who looked up to Coach Q.

“It just reminds me of us,” Selena said. “It reminds me of him. It’s a part of him. I know he knows these families and he knows these kids. He would love to see them participate and just being together, the way he brought us together honestly.”

As of Wednesday at 2 p.m., the family said the middle school bracket was still open for registration. They also have spots open for the adult bracket, and it costs $45 for those 18 and older. Here is information on how to register and how you can donate or get help.

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