CU's Dorrell, Other State Coaches Remember Late Buffs Star Leomiti

BOULDER — When the state's college football coaches participated earlier this week on a Zoom call, they took time to remember former Colorado Buffaloes standout and CSU-Pueblo assistant coach Donnell Leomiti.

Leomiti died Saturday night after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. First diagnosed in 2013, he refused to let the disease keep him away from the game he loved. An original member of the CSUP staff under coach John Wristen (also a former Buffaloes assistant), Leomiti continued to coach, helping the ThunderWolves to six conference titles and one national championship (2014). Last season, Leomiti was recognized as the 2019 American Football Coaches Association NCAA Division II Assistant of the Year and was named FootballScoop NCAA Division II Coordinator of the Year in 2018.

"We lost a cornerstone of our program," Wristen said. "He was a great player at CU and was then able to be a graduate assistant with us at CU. I hired him to coach our defensive backs (at CSUP) and he was with us from Day One. I not only lost a great friend, I lost a coach who was a cornerstone of our program."

CU coach Karl Dorrell had a chance to coach Leomiti when he joined the Buffaloes as a wide receiver. He spent one year at the position before switching to defensive back, and ended up with a standout career as a safety. One of his most memorable plays as a Buff was coming up with a critical fumble recovery late in the "Miracle in Michigan" game.

"Just a very, very smart, intelligent, physical kid," Dorrell said. "Very passionate about the game as a player. He ended up being a really good safety for us in his career and I wasn't surprised at all with the success he's had going into the coahing profesison and doing a great job with Coach Wristen. Very, very sad to hear of his passing and the loss to coaches and players and families he's touched in his career. He was a wonderful man."

Leomiti proved to be an inspiration to the entire program throughout his battle with cancer. When a new weight room was built for the ThunderWolves, it was named in his honor.

"The pride in which he carried himself and the pride he took in his job of coaching the DBs and the whole defense was really the premium part of his life, along with his wife and his five lovely kids that he has," Wristen told the Pueblo Chieftain "A warrior mentality. No woe-me moments when he had plenty of them. He wouldn't let anyone have a woe-me moment for him."

Leomiti is survived by his wife, Lauren Leomiti, as well as the couple's five children: Donnell Jr., Siliaga, Malekai, Kae'ane and Myalyn. A fund has been set-up to donate to his children's college educations; those who wish to donate can do so at https://bit.ly/DonnellLeomiti.

COACHING CONNECTIONS: Along with Dorrell and Wristen,Tuesday's Zoom call with the coaches included new Colorado State coach Steve Addazio, new Northern Colorado coach Ed McCaffrey and Air Force coach Troy Calhoun.

There are several connections between the group. Wristen served as an assistant coach under Dorrell at UCLA, and Dorrell was a wide receivers coach with the Denver Broncos when McCaffrey was a star receiver for the Broncos.

SCHEDULE POSSIBILITIES: Dorrell was asked his thoughts on the possibility of colleges switching to a spring schedule if the COVID-19 pandemic forces such a move, and also about the possibility of playing in a stadium with a limited number of fans — or no fans at all.

"That (spring schedule possibility) first came across my radar last night," Dorrell said. "My AD, Rick George, mentioned that from some of the discussions they've had from the athletic directors' standpoint. We haven't really in our coaching coahing group talked about the spring model in terms of having the season in the spring. There's been every type of model that we talked about for the fall, in terms of a full schedule to a 10-game to an eight-game to a seven-game. Those are the types of things I'm a little more familiar with depending on how the summer works out."

As for playing in front of limited fans, Dorrell said he is leaving that up to administrators.

"We would love to be in front of our great fans, no question," he said. "(But) from my perspective, I'm just trying to get a football team ready to play. We have to be prepared to play whatever that stadium looks like … We're hoping the season starts on time. But in terms of the question about fans — we have to be prepared regardless of who's in the stands. I know our guys are excited. They miss it. We all miss it. We're all very passionate about what we do. Part of our culture is football and we need to get football going, and we will. But we'll do it safely and we'll do it within the constraints of what the policy is to make it happen. We know it will be a little bit different, but we hope in the end it end up being a very successful year."

CSU's Addazio said he wasn't comfortable with some of the different schedule possibilities.

"When I hear some of these models, I get a little antsy," he said. "The Big Ten is proposing this 10-game conference-only deal. i don't want to see that. Let's go play 'em all. Let's have those geographic rival games and fan interest games. Let's play a full slate of college football and have a hell of a year. I'm looking forward to it."

ADDAZIO ON OPENER: The Rams' new coach made it clear he wants the scheduled Sept. 5 opener vs. the Buffs in Fort Collins to take place.

"We're obviously looking forward to Sept. 5 and get a chance to play Karl and his team, coming down to our place, which is a huge game," he said. "I'm sure both fan bases are really, really excited. I love these regional matchups like this. I think that's what makes college football special. I just love these games. It just fires me up."

Addazio even said that winning the opener is one of his program's three main goals.

"I've always had the philosophy that you want to win the opener," he said. "The opener is huge. You want to win the opener, you want to get bowl eligible and you want to compete for a conference championship. Those are the expectations we have here at Colorado State right now. Those are the goals that we have."

Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu

CU's Dorrell, Other State Coaches Remember Late Buffs Star Leomiti

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