College Sports Information Directors of America

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Dave Reed – Colorado College, Associate Director of Athletics Communications (retired)

CSC Lifetime Achievement Award

by Jack Neumann – retired from University of Calgary / Special Awards Committee member

For more than 30 years, Dave Reed was blessed by having a front row seat for some of the most memorable and exciting college and professional sporting events while working in athletics communications and journalism.

When the Lifetime Achievement Award recipient stepped down last July after 23 years at Colorado College, Reed traded the fast-paced life in college athletics, where he knew where he would be and what he would be doing from the first of August until the first of June, for a more relaxing routine that is often described as ‘island time.’
 

He also swapped blizzards for tropical storms, as well as bears and mountain lions for snakes and gators. But most importantly, he made the transition from devoting his time to his student-athletes and teams to doting on his wife, Gerri Anne, and son, Jackson, in their new Florida home. 

Reed’s name was synonymous with college athletics not only at Colorado College, but throughout Division III and the College of Sports Information Directors of American (CoSIDA), now College Sports Communicators.

Reed joined the CC college relations department in 1999 after spending three years at the USAToday newspaper, which at that time was located in Rosslyn, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington D.C. The experience of helping create the early versions of the USAToday Sports website provided to be the foundation for what became a longer than expected stay in Colorado Springs. 

“While driving to Winter Park for a day of skiing, director of college relations Todd Wilson told me to keep looking for another position because there was not enough money in the budget to keep me on for a second year,” Reed recalled. “But I was able to prove my value by upgrading CC’s athletics website that looked more like a collection of 18 individual sites. From that point on, Dave Moross and I were affectionately known as ‘the Daves’ in the department, until Moross retired in 2014.”

Reed had a passion for volleyball, a sport he covered while working in athletic communications at the University of Dayton (1989–91), The Ohio State University (1992–93) and the University of Notre Dame (1993–96). He brought a Division I perspective to Colorado College and was one of the first Division III SID’s to stat every match.

While at USAToday, Reed published the first Volleyball Division I Top 25 scoreboard, which he updated manually throughout the weekend. After moving to Colorado, Reed was recruited to write a national Division I women’s volleyball column for ESPN.com.

Reed was honored by the American Volleyball Coaches Association as recipient of its prestigious Grant Burger Media Award for the 2009- 2010 academic year in recognition of his work as CC's volleyball contact and as a national NCAA Division I volleyball columnist for ESPN.com.

Reed not only served his schools with class and dignity, he served CoSIDA, now College Sports Communicators (CSC), in the same manner. Reed remains an active member of the CSC Special Awards Committee, has served on the Membership and Programming Committees, was a College Division Representative on the Board for three years, and was a founding member of the former College Division Management Council (which has transitioned into CSC’s cabinet governance group).

In 2017, Reed was the recipient of CSC’s annual Achievement Award in the college division. The award recognizes members who have made outstanding contributions to the field of sports information in their role as an associate or assistant director. Two years later, Reed became the first associate or assistant to receive the Warren Berg Award which recognizes a top college division athletics communicator for outstanding commitment and service.

“Success in athletics communication depends entirely on relationships, and I was extremely fortunate to have worked alongside many of the best in the business throughout my career,” Reed said. “The four people who made the biggest impact on my career were CSC Hall of Famers Doug Hauschild (University of Dayton) and John Heisler (formerly at the University of Notre Dame, now at UCF), and two who were worthy of receiving that honor, Cindy Paavola (Western Michigan University/USAToday) and Dave Moross. In addition to being masters of the profession, they all encouraged me to stay involved be an active member of what at the time was CoSIDA.”   

Well known Colorado College alum, the late Doug Mitchell, who was the keynote speaker at the 2004 CoSIDA Convention in Calgary, had the utmost of respect for Reed and issued the following quote when Dave was recognized last year for his 25 years in the profession.

"Dave Reed is the epitome of a class act, always well informed, knowledgeable and keeps up to date on what is happening in the sports world. Dave at all times emulates honesty and integrity and an ability to work with others. He is amongst the best in his profession and represents Colorado College in a distinguished and professional manner,” stated Mitchell who was enshrined in CC’s Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017.

A native of Piqua, Ohio, Reed graduated from the University of Dayton, majoring in communications with a concentration in journalism. He married Gerri Anne, who worked in CC’s business office, in 2005, and they have a son, Jackson.

“Gerri Anne and I both poured our hearts into Colorado College, and we were rewarded by finding our soulmates in each other,” Dave said. “We have so many great memories of our time on campus, not only with our friends and colleagues, but with the students and student-athletes we supported and mentored since we arrived in Colorado Springs in 1999.”

One of the reasons the Reed family relocated to Nocatee, Fla., was to give Jackson the opportunity to live closer to family. Not only did that provide a chance to strengthen his bond with his aunts, uncles and cousins, he found a second family as a member of the Nease High School Navy Junior ROTC program, which is one of the best in the nation.

“Jackson hit the ground running by joining the ROTC, which was a complete surprise to Gerri Anne and I,” stated Reed. “He found structure and new, ready-made friends with boots on the ground here in Florida, making his transition a lot easier. He also has stayed in touch with his life-long buddies in Colorado Springs through their ‘gamer prowess.’ Retirement allowed me to help Jackson navigate the changes, and the results have been nothing short of amazing.”

Reed spoke of more changes which have come about upon his retirement.

“What I love the most about retirement is spending more time with my family. Instead of going to games, we’re playing games,” Reed concluded. “We’re riding bikes rather than writing stories. At other times, it’s floating in the salt water instead of streaming an event. I just had to learn to chill out, which wasn’t nearly as easy as you would think after having my feet in the athletics fire for the better part of the last 30 years.”