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There are optimists, and then there’s John Painter.
Colgate University’s highly regarded director of athletic communications could likely make a hurricane almost seem like a stroke of good fortune.
“We’ve been wanting new carpet anyway,” he’d offer.
Many in the communications field are good at shining a positive light on a negative story. But with Painter it’s not just happy talk. He genuinely believes there will be blue skies
tomorrow. And by the end of your conversation, he’ll likely have you believing it, too.
“He never lets wins or losses affect his personality,” says Tom Satkowiak, associate media relations director at the University of Tennessee and a former colleague. “He always has a cheery disposition even if they’d just lost three tough games. He’s always so steady and so positive.”
And those who interact with the new CoSIDA 25-year award recipient inevitably leave feeling good about their conversation.
“John is the quintessential people person,” says Sean Straziscar, associate director of championships and alliances at the NCAA. “He’s a great person and just a genuine guy.”
Retired CoSIDA Hall of Famer Bud Ford, a University of Tennessee icon, managed Painter as a student, then hired him for his staff several years later.
“I think his greatest gift is the way he deals with people,” Ford says. “John has the respect of everyone he deals with.”
Painter was one of the first hires made at Colgate by director of athletics Victoria Chun, while she was still serving in an interim role in August, 2012. She gave Painter his first chance to run his own athletics communications shop and is thrilled to have him with the Raiders.
“We are so happy and very proud that John Painter is being recognized for his 25 years in the sports information profession,” Chun says. “His work ethic, writing talent and love for sports is second to none. His work has affected literally thousands upon thousands of student-athletes, not to mention their families, coaches, professors and friends in a positive way. A hearty congratulations to John, his wife Mary Margaret and his sons, Jackson (17) and David (16) for this well-deserved recognition.”
At Colgate, Painter manages the communications office for the university's 25 varsity athletics programs, with immediate oversight of football, women's basketball, men's lacrosse, golf and rowing. Painter also serves as a member of the media relations team for the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame Dinner in New York City.
A Columbia, Tenn. native, Painter was an assistant sports information director of Auburn University after graduating from Tennessee. He was the Tigers’ contact for the national runner-up women's basketball team in 1989 and coordinated weekly television and radio programs. His brochure
for the Tigers' run to the national title game was voted No. 2 in the nation among all sports postseason guides.
From 1989-2001 he worked for the NCAA national office, assisting in statistics for 11 years and publishing for one. Painter was media coordinator for the Men's Frozen Four ice
hockey and FCS football championships. He also worked at the College World Series from 1995-2001 and the 1992 and 1993 women's basketball Final Fours.
Painter then spent nearly 11 years at Tennessee as associate media relations director. He was chief feature writer for UTsports.com and UTladyvols.com and earlier was the primary contact for football head coaches Phillip Fulmer and Lane Kiffin. His writing at Tennessee won four CoSIDA Fred Stabley Sr. District 4 first-place awards in 2012 and 2013. He also created and directed “On the T,” a weekly golf instructional video series with members of the men's and women's golf teams. During his time at Tennessee, he served as chair of the NCAA's Statistics and Records Advisory Board.
To student assistants, however, Painter is simply the go-to guy for those questions they’re hesitant to ask anyone else. Satkowiak was a student assistant at Tennessee when he first
met Painter.
“As a student there were certain people within the department who maybe seemed a little intimidating to approach,” Satkowiak says. “But John is so welcoming. If you ever had a question or even if you were just having a bad day, you could just go sit in his office for five minutes and he’d stop whatever he was doing and talk to you about your future or whatever concern you might have.”
That willingness to listen makes Painter ideal for serving as a buffer in the sometimes contentious relationships between high-profile athletics figures and the media.
“John’s a good peacemaker when he sees things that need a little healing,” he said “The way he handles people is one of his strongest traits.”
Satkowiak watched and learned.
“The thing that always impresses me about John is how diplomatic he is,” Satkowiak says. “He has the ability to defuse any situation with remarkable calm. Even if you knew he didn’t agree with you, he’d have a civil conversation, listen to your points and always figure out a common-sense solution.
"He’s such a let’s-make-it-work kind of guy and that’s so important in media relations. That diplomatic approach is something I’ve always tried to emulate and I’m glad to got to learn that from John,” he finished.
It’s a varied background, yet Painter says he’s grown even more at Colgate.
“It’s funny, I was in my 23rd year when I got here, but I’ve really learned a lot,” he says. “I’m way better at my job now than I was two years ago.”
That doesn’t surprise Straziscar.
“You can plug John into any position and he will excel,” Straziscar says. “He’s always willing to learn. If he doesn’t know how to do something, he’ll ask questions, because he’s very serious about wanting to get better.”
And it’s led Painter to a spot at Colgate where he truly feels at home. That connection will deepen next year, when son Jackson enrolls as a Colgate freshman.
“I’m really lucky I landed here,” he says. “A big key for me is our department. They couldn’t be better people. We’ve got great chemistry here and we all get along. That’s the way I like it.
“And now Jackson’s coming here and will get a great education that could change his life. It’s like it was meant to be.”
But Painter’s colleagues feel fortunate as well.
“Considering him a friend is an honor,” Straziscar says. “At the end of my career when I look back, I’m going to say I’m really glad I got to work with John Painter.”