List of Linfield SIDs (sports information directors)

Before 1947-48 (See below+)

1947-48 Jack Clark 
1948-49 Jack Clark 
1949-50 Denny Morlan
1950-51 Denny Morlan 
1951-52 Phil Comfort+
1953-54 Jack Collins
1954-55 Ken Wheeler/Dennis Anderson

1955-56 Gil Stewart/Jerry Dennon/Floyd McKay+
1956-57 Gil Stewart

1957-58 Jack Maitlin/Ray Grady
1958-59 Gordon Gillmouth+

1959-60 Hal Cowan
1960-61 John Buchner
1961-62 Hal Cowan
1962-63 Hal Cowan
1963-64 Hal Cowan

1964-65 George Murdock
1965-66 George Murdock

1966-67 Rick Pullen
1967-68 Rick Pullen

1968-69 Tim Marsh+
1969-70 Chuck Humble

1970-71 Rusty Rae+
1971-72 Rusty Rae
1972-73 Rusty Rae

1973-74 Steve Davis+
1974-75 Steve Davis

1975-76 Craig Allen+
1976-77 Phil Bond+
1977-78 Phil Bond/Tom Bailey
1978-79 Jon Enyart/Dale Rhines+

1979-80 Steve Davis
1980-81 Steve Davis
1981-82 Steve Davis

1982-83 Joe Miglioretto
1983-84 Keith Fredrickson/Dan Farmer/Kip Carlson
1984-85 John F. Dillin Jr.+/Dan Farmer

1985-86 Larry Luta
1986-87 Larry Luta

1987-88 Chuck Charnquist+
1988-89 Chuck Charnquist

1989-90 Kelly Bird
1990-91 Kelly Bird
1991-92 Kelly Bird
1992-93 Kelly Bird
1993-94 Kelly Bird
1994-95 Kelly Bird
1995-96 Kelly Bird
1996-97 Kelly Bird
1997-98 Kelly Bird
1998-99 Kelly Bird
1999-00 Kelly Bird
2000-01 Kelly Bird
2001-02 Kelly Bird
2002-03 Kelly Bird
2003-04 Kelly Bird
2004-05 Kelly Bird
2005-06 Kelly Bird
2006-07 Kelly Bird
2007-08 Kelly Bird
2008-09 Kelly Bird
2009-10 Kelly Bird
2010-11 Kelly Bird
2011-12 Kelly Bird
2012-13 Kelly Bird
2013-14 Kelly Bird
2014-15 Kelly Bird
2015-16 Kelly Bird
2016-17 Kelly Bird
2017-18 Kelly Bird
2018-19 Kelly Bird
2019-21 Kelly Bird
2021-22 Kelly Bird
2022-23 Kelly Bird
2023-24 Kelly Bird

 

  + Footnotes: 

--When this list was originally posted, there was no one listed prior to Jack Collins, 1953-1954. But, in 2009, Wildcatville found information in the 1952 Linfield Oak Leaves yearbook which indicated that Phil Comfort was SID in the 1951-1952 school year. So... the text below might be suspect. Perhaps there was an SID or two prior to 1951-1952? Here is the maybe suspect text: Both Henry Lever and Paul Durham were masters of dealing with news media. In their time coaching that usually meant talking to sports editors and sports writers. Even if they did not have the title as Linfield SID, they probably were. During quite a bit of Durham's time working at Linfield, he was sports editor of the McMinnville News-Register and/or sports columnist for the N-R. The column, originally called "Shooting the Bull" was later changed to its best known name, "Dodging with Durham." Certainly Durham's greatest impact on Linfield sports coverage was in the N-R. However, coverage of Linfield athletics in the Oregonian and Oregon Journal in Portland and Oregon Statesman and Capital Journal in Salem was also significant. Lever and Durham played no small role in helping (influencing?) positive coverage for the Wildcats.

--Page 83 of the 1952 Linfield Oak Leaves yearbook, on an Athletic Department page titled COACHES, has photos of coaches Paul Durham, Roy Helser and Hal Smith. There is also a photo of Phil Comfort. Story text says, "Phil Comfort served in the position of Athletic Manager for the department. Phil served well in his capacity of director of publicity, financial manager..."


--Page 3 of the 1955-56 Linfield men's basketball media guide in the listing for athletic staff are Floyd McKay, Jerry Dennon as handling "Athletic Publicity."

--During the time Paul Durham (Linfield coach, athletic director, faculty member) was McMinnville News-Register sports editor, Gordon Gillmouth (McMinnville High Class of 1958 and Linfield Class of 1963) was a N-R sports writer. He covered McMinnville High school sports for the N-R for seven years, three while in high school and four years while at Linfield.

--Craig Allen's resume says he was SID Sept 1974-June 1976. The 1975 Linfield football media guide, which he produced, shows him as SID. The 1976 Linfield spring sports (men’s and women's track, baseball, men's tennis, men's golf) media guide, which he produced, shows him as SID.

--Linfield Athletics Newsletter, Summer 2004 -- Hal Cowan ’64 of Bend retired from Oregon State University after a 38-year career as sports information director, 28 of which were spent at OSU. He previously worked at Central Michigan University, the University of California, the University of Oregon and for the Portland Storm of the World Football League. He was named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Hall of Fame and was the recipient of the Arch Ward Award, the top individual award given to an SID. Cowan got his start as a student SID at Linfield. His work included serving as publicist for Linfield's 1961 Camellia Bowl football team.

--Linfield Magazine, Fall 2004 -- John Buchner ’63 of Albany was named to the Oregon Newspaper Hall of Fame. He retired as publisher of the Albany Democrat-Herald in 1998, after working as a reporter or editor at newspapers in Ashland, Bend, Stayton and La Grande.

--Linfield Athletics Newsletter, Fall 2004 -- Tim Marsh ‘70 and his wife, Diane, have been added to the Pullman, Wash., Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame. They were recognized for contributions to Pullman, including to chamber activities and to Washington State University, Pullman High School and Comets club track and field programs. As a Linfield student, Tim lettered in cross country and track, and served a year as Linfield's sports information director.

--In 2009, Phil Bond told Wildcatville, "I think, if memory serves, that I was SID in 1976-77 rather than Craig Allen. He teed me up in '76 before he graduated."

--In 2009, Dale Rhines told Wildcatville, "I think I was SID in 1977-78. I came to Linfield in September of 1977 and was only there one year... I might have worked with Jon (Enyart) that year- I know I worked with someone."

--In 2014, Steve Davis died. Read more
http://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2014/04/no-one-was-more-loyal-than-steve-as.html


--In 2015, Ken Wheeler died 11/8/2015. On 11/9/2015, Floyd McKay told Wildcatville, "Sorry to hear of Ken's death. He was editor of the Linfield Review when I met him, in 1953-54, and did sports publicity and stringing for the Portland papers. I signed on as sports reporter, I think, and then followed him in sports publicity and stringing. Kenny was a hard-news guy rather than a features guy as I recall, and his descriptions of action and their implications were spot-on. He had an amazing run with the Oregonian; that type of long-term loyalty on the part of paper and reporter is fading very fast."

--Those who have served as SIDs of more than one NWC school or more than once at the same NWC school include:
--Russ Blunck, Pacific grad -- Pacific (twice)
--Chuck Charnquist, L&C grad -- Lewis & Clark, Linfield
--John F. Dillin Jr., WU grad -- Willamette, Linfield
--Mike Larson, PLU grad -- Willamette, PLU
--Tim Marsh, Linfield grad -- Linfield, Whitman

--Chuck Charnquist, Linfield SID 1987-1989, died Oct. 28, 2021. Read more about him here: https://wildcatville.blogspot.com/2021/10/death-of-chuck-charnquist-former.html

 --Photo shows Linfield head football coach Ad Rutschman and Steve “Sparky” Davis, Linfield Sports Information Director, sharing a laugh after Linfield’s 1982 NAIA national championship football win over William Jewell (Missouri) at McMinnville High School’s Wortman Stadium. This photo by Rusty Rae, a former Linfield Sports Information Director, is copyrighted by Rusty Rae. If you have questions about the photo, please contact Rusty Rae at 206-669-2400 or rusty.rae@tertrerougetimes.com