Twenty Five and Counting for WVU's Montoro
June 02, 2015 09:28 AM | General
.jpg) |
|
| Mike Montoro (middle), pictured here with CoSIDA Hall of Famers Bo Carter and Langston Rogers at the 2011 National Football Foundation event in New York City. | |
| Submitted photo |
Eller gladly allowed him to take on statistics, game operations and media reporting while moonlighting as the junior varsity basketball coach. A sports information director was born!
"His willingness to work in an unpaid position and his love for that position showed in everything he did," said Eller. "Everything was done the right way. He really cared for each kid. Being involved with an athletic team was his life dream, you could just see that in him as a youngster."
Montoro left Carroll in 1986 to attend Liberty University and quickly found a way to work in the sports information office, performing at a level that earned him a full-time assistant position as a junior undergrad. He kept that position until 1992, working under Athletic Director/SID Chuck Burch that whole time.
"It's been fun to watch Mike's progression from a professional perspective in the athletic industry," said Burch. "Although he was relatively inexperienced when we began working together at Liberty, Mike was willing to try anything that I asked him to take on. We were basically a two-person shop, so I relied heavily on Mike and he never let me down.
"Even in the beginning, it was obvious that Mike had the passion, drive, and willingness to work hard in order to learn and make himself into the professional that he's become today. I am proud of all that he has accomplished and the positive impact that he has had on the lives of so many student-athletes."
The care for each student-athlete as an individual and the servant's heart are a common theme throughout Montoro's stellar career. He knew that he wanted a career in sports information and to realize that dream, he needed to take the next step so he joined the staff at West Virginia as a graduate assistant, making an immediate impact on a much bigger stage.
After his two-year stint at WVU, Montoro went on to Brescia College, where he served as assistant women's basketball coach, oversaw all game operations and started the sports information office.
After a season there, Montoro returned to his alma mater, a theme that would manifest itself more than once during his career. Liberty called and he answered to become the head SID for four years. A year as an assistant SID at Virginia Tech followed where he was the primary women's basketball contact and a secondary football contact.
"I have worked with many sports information directors in my 30 year collegiate coaching career," said Rick Reeves, currently women's basketball head coach at Gardner-Webb. "Without a doubt Mike Montoro is the best!
"I had to privilege of working with Mike at Liberty and Southern Miss early in his career and I was amazed at the level of professionalism he had attained at such a young age. I am also very grateful to call Mike Montoro my friend!"
In 2000, Montoro made a career move into the Deep South at Southern Mississippi. During his seven-year stay, he oversaw a football program that made quite a splash by going to six bowl games and a baseball team that played in five consecutive NCAA tournaments.
During this time, Montoro blossomed into a very potent sports information force on the national scene. He has served on the College Sports Information Director of America Academic All-America Committee for 20 years, rising to role as a national chair. He also began his service with the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association in 2002, an organization his is still active in 13 years later.
Montoro was president of NCBWA in 2004 and has been on the committee that selects the Howser Trophy Award since 2002. In 2006, he was presented with the Wilbur Snypp Award for outstanding contributions to college baseball.
In 2007, Montoro made the final move of his career by returning to his second alma mater to become the director of football communications at West Virginia. During his time in Morgantown, he has been the primary media contact for seven bowl teams in eight years, including two BCS appearances.
"Mike puts in endless hours of work, but there are tons of folks in our profession that you can describe that way," said Michael Fragale, associate AD Communications. "To me, what sets Mike apart is his loyalty. He is the ultimate team guy. His loyalty to West Virginia athletics, the coaches and our football team is what truly makes him a special person.
"He never hesitates to pitch in and help, doing the extra things that our coaches and players have come to depend on. Yes, he is a hard worker, but when Mike Montoro tells you that he has your back, you never have to turn around and check it for holes."
Known as the consummate networker, Montoro keeps in regular contact with any and all who have lived in his orbit, including progeny such as Todd Wetmore, SID at Liberty; Joe Trahan, Dallas Cowboys PR; and Chris Yandle, SID at Georgia Tech. Mentors such as Dave Smith, SID at Virginia Tech; Carol Hudson, SID at Old Dominion; Georgia's own SID legend Claude Felton; Chuck Burch, athletic director at Gardner-Webb; Michael Fragale, WVU; Kevin Keys, WVU and Liberty; and Shelly Poe, Assistant AD at Auburn also hear often from their mentee.
"Mike has grown from a raw and wide-eyed graduate student when we first worked together back in the 90s into a skilled professional who is so well respected all across the country," said Poe. "He's done this, I believe, by maintaining a 'servant's heart' throughout his career, always looking to do for others in order to make his teams and athletes shine.
"He's a very talented professional but his humility is what makes him special. I am proud to have worked with him and proud he is my friend."
A career that started in the days of the telecopier and mimeograph machines has gone full circle to the lightning communications we enjoy today. And through it all, Mike Montoro has adapted to the changing times without straying from the core values that he began with in high school – love for the job, care for the student-athletes and loyalty to the team. He is realizing his life dream every day.
2026 Mountaineer Invitational Preview
Thursday, April 09
Nate Gabriel | April 8
Thursday, April 09
Coach Rich Rodriguez | April 8
Thursday, April 09
Coach Rod West | April 8
Thursday, April 09
