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CoSIDA Hall of Fame
David Plati – University of Colorado, Associate AD/Sports Information Director
CoSIDA Hall of Fame Class of 2019
by Neill Woelk, CUBuffs.com Contributing Editor
Sportswriters love to write about "coaching trees," those family trees in the sports world that trace the lineage of a long list of coaches back to a single source or mentor.
Similar connections exist in the world of sports information — and one of the most prolific "SID trees" in the nation over the last several decades has been the University of Colorado's sports information department, where current SID
David Plati has been the department director for 35 years.
Plati, a 1982 Colorado graduate, has worked in the CU Sports Information Department for 41 years, learning under some of the best in the business in his early years, including Fred Casotti, Mike Moran and Tim Simmons at CU and Jim Saccomano at the Denver Broncos.
Since being named CU's 13th full-time athletic communications director on July 24, 1984, Plati, who holds the title of Associate Athletics Director/Sports Information, has been the driving force behind more than 100 aspiring students moving on to full-time careers in the business.
On the sidelines during a Colorado football game.
"It's obviously a very humbling honor to be selected for induction in the hall of fame of your profession," said Plati, who earlier this year was also honored with the Football Writers Association of America's Lifetime Achievement Award. "No doubt, there are a lot of great SIDs around the country who are worthy of induction, and just to be considered is an honor. But the thing I'm most proud of in my career is the number of students who have worked for us that we have put into the profession. It's easily over 100, if not more. A lot of them have gone on to have great careers in the pros and colleges and I think that speaks to the work we have done over the years."
The Colorado SID tree has spread its branches throughout the nation.
"Dave Plati gave me my start in the sports information field over 30 years ago, and for that I will be forever indebted," said Steve Fink, currently the Assistant AD/Communications at South Carolina. "He is one of the hardest working individuals I have ever known and his passion and love for the Buffs is unmatched. His unique and creative mind, along with his penchant for numbers, trivia and pop culture, is unrivaled in the field."
During his career, Plati has worked for six athletic directors, nine head football coaches and seven men's basketball coaches. He has overseen national championship seasons in four sports, and has shepherded the campaigns for a long list of national award winners, including a Heisman Trophy, two Thorpe awards, two Butkus awards, a Mackey winner and literally dozens of All-Americans in a variety of sports.
Along the way, he earned the highest level of respect from the student-athletes and coaches he has served, as well as members of the media from across the nation.
"When you think of Dave, the song 'Nobody Does it Better' comes to mind," former CU football coach Gary Barnett said. "That is simply true. Everyone who ever received a national or league award over all these years has Dave Plati to thank. He emerged early on as a force in his business and established himself as one of the very best."
Through the years, CU's sports information office has regularly been recognized as one of the nation's best under Plati's guidance. The FWAA has recognized CU's sports information office eight times during his tenure: three times for an outstanding press box operation (1987, 1992, 1997), and five times with the FWAA's Super 11 award (2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017), for all-encompassing efforts with the nation's football media.
"David is very deserving of this honor," CU Athletic Director Rick George said. "I'm very happy for him and proud of the way he has represented the university over the past 40 years. He has played a big role in this department for many, many years and has obviously been outstanding at his job."
In his four decades in the department, Plati has worked with virtually every CU sport in one capacity or another. Now, while his primary responsibilities are with the football and men's golf programs, he also oversees the sports information efforts for all sports. He has worked or covered more than 2,150 CU events, including 466 football games, a stretch that saw him attend 410 consecutive football games.
His expertise has also been utilized by other entities outside the direct circle of the Buffaloes. He worked five BCS National Championship games, all five College Football Playoff title games, eight Rose and two Fiesta bowls for a grand total of 43 postseason bowl games (including Colorado's 19 bowl appearances).
The result has been a sterling reputation from coast to coast, as he has left a lasting impression on CU coaches and student-athletes as well as members of the media.
"He
is Colorado," said former CU coach Dan Hawkins. "Administrators, coaches, professors, students — they all come and go. But Dave has been there longer than them all. He is an institution. He is so passionate about Colorado and dedicated to his work. He's a grinder. He gets the job done and he does it with professionalism and excellence."
Former student-athletes still remember Plati's assistance in not only garnering national attention and honors, but also as a mentor in helping them navigate their media responsibilities.
"Dave was an incredible resource during my time at CU," said former CU All-American and Butkus Award winner Matt Russell. "The exposure he generated for all of us and our teams, spearheading our award campaigns and highlighting our achievements, was second to none. He was a friend and mentor to me and my teammates, an advocate and a voice in our ear helping us to manage the spotlight. He always made sure we represented ourselves and our school in a positive way as student-athletes."
Plati will join three previous Colorado SID's who have previously been inducted into the CoSIDA Hall of Fame: the late Fred Casotti (1996), Mike Moran (2002) and Steve Hatchell (2018). Casotti spent 50 years working in the CU athletic department, 16 as an SID (1952-68); Moran followed Casotti (1968-79) and went on to the work in PR and communications for the U.S. Olympic Committee for a quarter century. Hatchell worked at Colorado in the 1970s and is now the president and CEO of the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame.
Plati will be part of a
six-member inductee class.
"I'm honored to be included in such an accomplished group," Plati said. "I've worked with most of these people over my career, and every one of them is no doubt well-deserving of the honor."