RIP Michael Colley

[Big Circus]

Mods, feel free to move this to JTO if you think it fits better there.

Michael Colley was the football and men's lacrosse SID at the University of Virginia. Michael is probably my favorite SID that I've worked with in my young career. He had a heart attack Saturday while vacationing with friends.

Michael was a true professional with a wicked sense of humor. He was genuinely happy with his job and at the University. This is a tremendous loss and a sad day for UVa.

 

[imjustagirl]

Terrible news. How old was Colley? Ballpark?

Anyone whose job was dealing with Al Groh was sainted on earth. RIP, Michael.

 

[Big Circus]

Mid-to-late 40s, by my estimation.

 

[imjustagirl]

Damn. Damn. Damn.

Here's his bio from the U.Va. site. He was a C'ville native and had worked there for 18 years.

http://www.virginiasports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17800&ATCLID=3738364

 

[Big Circus]

Thanks for the link, IJAG. Michael just seemed like one of those people who was doing what he was born to do. Any press box or sideline was more fun when he was there.

 

[zebracoy]

Wow. I found Michael to be incredibly helpful in my dealings with him in recent years. This is a shock.

Thoughts are with the family.

 

[sportsguydave]

Very sad story. A wake-up-call for all of us in our 40s.

 

[Moderator1]

I've known Mike many, many years and always enjoyed dealing with him. This news has me in tears.

Mike's parents were entered in a re-do your backyard contest some radio station sponsored. Mike got in touch with a bunch of his friends, encouraging us to go online and vote for his folks. So I did. They won. He promised all of us the party of all parties. So we started ragging his ass to throw that party.

RIP to a great guy.

ps - and I never know for sure which board is best for these types of things. Probably journalism but it is news, too.

 

[Cosmo]

Total punch to the gut. Such sad news. RIP.

 

[Drip]

RIP

 

[Hokie_pokie]

Honestly, when I first started covering the U.Va. football beat, it took me a while to acclimate myself to Mike's dry wit. I didn't "get him" at first, but as time went on, I grew to appreciate him as a funny, funny guy who could take as good as he gave while also managing to epitomize the word professional.

He helped me countless times with rounding up players who had one way or another managed to avoid coming to media availability, even though he could've just taken the easy road and made some lame excuse why they were unavailable. His efforts made covering the early Groh years, with the whole "one voice" BS, as manageable as humanly possible.

RIP to one of the truly great ones in this God-forsaken business.

 

[Moderator1]

From U.Va.'s Web site:

http://www.virginiasports.com//ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=17800&ATCLID=204759607

 

[lone star scribe]

This is extremely sad news. I met Mike many years ago through mutual friends, before he began working at UVa, and he will be greatly missed. A true professional in the SID ranks.

 

[Jake_Taylor]

I didn't know Mike as well as some, but he was a nice guy and went out of his way to help me out several times even though I worked for a small paper that didn't cover the team regularly. I was shocked and saddened to hear the news.

 

[Moderator1]

Just got back from the memorial service - nice turnout and they did a great job. Many, many people at the reception afterward praised AD Craig Littlepage for the way he handled things with Mike's family, the service, etc. It was at John Paul Jones Arena. His folks seemed to take pleasure in hearing our stories about Mike afterward.

A fine sendoff for someone who deserved one.

 

[Karl Hungus]

Doug Doughty of the Roanoke Times had this about Michael yesterday, prior to the memorial service.

http://www.roanoke.com/sports/notebookplus/wb/212150

Though I work at a Virginia school, I recently started, and never had a chance to meet Michael. Sounded like he was a classy guy and a standout pro.

 

[SockPuppet]

I was on vacation when this happened so I'm just hearing about this. I didn't have the pleasure of knowing Mr. Colley but if Moddy and Doug Doughty pledge for him, I have no doubt he was a great guy and pro.

I'll say this: We've lost too many great people lately.

 

[ink-stained wretch]

Every time I flew through Hookville, Mike was always available to help out a harassed inkstained wretch. He was one of God's true gentlemen. Seems to me, we deserved to have him around longer.