Colorado State University Pueblo

Dr. Paul Plinske is in his seventh year as the leader of Pack Athletics and 21st year as a collegiate director of athletics. On October 1, 2021, Plinske was named Vice President for Athletics and Strategic Partnerships by then CSU Pueblo President Dr. Timothy Mottet. In that position, Dr. Plinske is a member of the CSU Pueblo President’s Cabinet.
 
Since he arrived at CSU Pueblo in 2018, Dr. Plinske has made an impact in numerous ways on the CSU Pueblo Athletics Department, CSU Pueblo, and the Pueblo community. He has increased the department’s student-athletes’ academic and athletic success, while significantly enhancing the sport facilities, fan experience, attendance revenues, donor engagement, and the university’s enrollment.
 
The 2023-24 academic year was a banner year for the ThunderWolves as the athletic department achieved a new record high with a department-wide 3.23 GPA for 640 student-athletes, a 24th place finish in the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup standings and a school record 8,541 community service hours posted by Pack student-athletes. The program also had three coaches named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Coaches of the Year and multiple region acknowledgments. CSU Pueblo also raised $2.5 million in external funding through camps and clinics, private donations and sponsorships from 70 different corporations to assist with athletic scholarships and operations. On the field, CSU Pueblo had 16 All-American performances and seven NCAA Division II National Runner-up finishes.
 
During the 2022-23 academic year, CSU Pueblo had one of its most successful years in the program’s history as the ThunderWolves achieved a school record department-wide GPA of 3.22 for 675 student-athletes; a school-best 16th place finish in the LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup standings; and over 5,900 community service hours. CSU Pueblo also raised $2.9 million in external revenue to assist with athletic scholarships and operations. Finally, the Pack hosted the 2022 CHSAA State Football Championships and the 2023 NCAA Division II Outdoor Track and Field Championships.
 
After being named the University’s 13th Athletic Director on March 27, 2018, Dr. Plinske established a new strategic plan for Athletics and developed new vision and mission statements for the Department. He didn’t do this alone, as he collaborated with the coaches and staff within the department and key members of the campus and Pueblo communities. As a result, the Department established its new tagline, Developing Champions. 

During his tenure at CSU Pueblo, Dr. Plinske has worked tirelessly to hire highly qualified coaches and staff, elevate student-athlete scholarships, and improve facilities. Working collaboratively with campus and community constituents to increase funding for Athletics to make these necessary upgrades has been a major priority for Dr. Plinske. In his six-plus at CSU Pueblo, Dr. Plinske has raised over $20 million total in private donations and corporate sponsorship support, including $4.5 million in 2019-20 for capital improvements.
 
In Massari Arena, a new Daktronics video board, LED scoring tables, and sound system were installed, and the gymnasium floor was rebranded. Rawlings Field saw a major overhaul with a $3.5 million upgrade, including the construction of The ART, a 32,000 square foot indoor training center made possible through 100 percent in private funding. The CSU Pueblo ThunderBowl was also renovated with a new track and field surfacing, a project that cost $1.1 million. Dr. Plinske also helped secure a new 55-passenger bus and two new 37-passenger buses for athletic team travel, while also refurbishing the two older buses in the fleet. He has also led a charge in the rebranding efforts of the athletic department.
 
"He is nationally recognized as a leader in DII and DIII athletics who bridges athletic and academic cultures into a singular university culture of excellence. He has enhanced the athletic profile of each university where he has had the opportunity to lead,” Dr Mottet said after announcing the hiring of Plinske to direct the CSU Pueblo Athletics Department.
 
From 2013 to 2018, Dr. Plinske was the Director of Athletics at Nebraska Kearney, a 17-sport NCAA Division II program with 55 coaches and staff and 435 student-athletes. From 2004-2013, he led the Department of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, an NCAA Division III program serving 650 student athletes. Plinske was inducted into the UW-Whitewater Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2021. He also served as Associate Director of Athletics at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse for five years. 
 
In his more than 21 years of senior-level leadership managing collegiate athletic programs at three highly regarded regional comprehensive institutions, Dr. Plinske has a record of enhancing student-athletes academic success through increased GPAs and improved graduation rates as well as attracting, developing, and retaining award-winning coaches. Additionally, Dr. Plinske has created high-level branding and marketing initiatives to bolster student engagement, recruitment, and retention efforts and has completed over $45 million in facility renovations with insight into university and State budgeting procedures.
 
As athletic director, Dr. Plinske has experienced nine team national championships, 12 national team runner-up finishes, 12 national coaches of the year, 40 individual national champions, and over 600 All-American performances. He has also directed athletic programs to 18 consecutive Top 50 LEARFIELD Directors’ Cup finishes, including four years in the Top 10.
 
In addition, Dr. Plinske has shown the ability to increase corporate sponsorships and partnerships, as well as increase attendance by enhancing spectator engagement and fan experiences. At CSU Pueblo, Nebraska-Kearney, and Wisconsin-Whitewater, he raised more than $52 million in private donations, corporate sponsorships, and external support, including seven years of raising over $2.5 million annually to support his initiatives.

A published researcher, Dr. Plinske serves as an executive board member for the Pueblo YMCA and is a board member of the National Football Foundation – Colorado Chapter; NCAA Division II Football Super Region IV Regional Ranking Committee, along with also serving on the board of the Kearney YMCA and as a board member of the Division II Athletic Directors Association (D2 ADA). He is also a member of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of America (NACDA), the National Football Foundation, the Women Leaders in College Sports and serves as a D2 ADA Mentor and Webinar Faculty member as he taught “NCAA Division II Budgeting” to the D2 ADA Mentorship Program.
 
Dr. Plinske earned a bachelor's degree in Physical Education at Bethel University (St. Paul, Minn.), a master's degree in Kinesiology/Athletics Administration from the University of Illinois, and a Ph.D. in Kinesiology/Athletics Administration from the University of Minnesota. 
 
He and his wife, Elizabeth, a former All-American runner at the University of Michigan, have two daughters: Allison and Lauren.

About Paul Plinske
Birthdate: August 4, 1969
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Family: Wife, Elizabeth, daughters, Allison and Lauren
Bethel University, B.A. in Physical Education (1993)
University of Illinois, M.S. in Athletic Administration (1996)
University of Minnesota, Ph.D. in Sport Administration (1999)
Colorado State University Pueblo, Vice President for Athletics and Strategic Partnerships (2021-present)
Colorado State University Pueblo, Director of Athletics (2018-2021)
University of Nebraska Kearney, Director of Athletics (2013-2018)
University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, Director of Athletics (2004-2013)
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, Associate Athletics Director (1999-2004)
University of Minnesota, Facility and Event Management Intern (1998-1999)
St. Paul Arlington (Minn.) High School, Assistant Track & Field Coach (1997-1999)
University of Minnesota, Instructor (1996-1999)
University of Illinois, Graduate Assistant in Football (1994-1996)
Bethel University, Assistant Football and Men’s Basketball Coach (1992-1994)