SID Tom Schulz rides off in sunset after 38 years of service to Montana State athletics

BOZEMAN — To the average college fan, a sports information director can be an anonymous, incognito piece to an otherwise crucial operation. Out of sight, out of mind — but certainly not out of the realm of importance.

For the schools themselves, SIDs are oftentimes the lifeblood of the athletic department. For the media, they can be invaluable.

Tom Schulz arrived at Montana State University in the fall of 1988 not exactly knowing what to expect. He had recently finished a graduate degree at St. Cloud State in Minnesota and gained experience while there, notably working alongside the men's hockey team coached by the late, great bench boss Herb Brooks.

A native of the Twin Cities, Schulz had gotten married in 1987 and was in search of what he called "that first job."

He didn't know it would be his only job.

"There were two advertisements, one for the women's SID position and one for the men's SID position at Montana State, because Bruce Parker and Dianne Ellis had both left at the same time," Schulz recalled to MTN Sports. "I thought, 'Well, I'm just out of grad school, I'm not going to get the men's job, so go for the women's.' And I put in for it.

"My mentor at St. Cloud State, Donna Palivec, was a volleyball coach here. So I kind of had an in. I came out and interviewed for it and two weeks later they said, 'Come on out.' We loaded up the U-Haul and we've been here ever since."

But now it's on to new horizons. Schulz retired from his job at MSU effective Jan. 1 to be able to commit more time to family — in particular a 2-year-old granddaughter and his 91-year-old mother back home in Minneapolis.

Yet he won't soon be forgotten. For 38 years Schulz served as a primary media contact, facilitating interviews and providing statistics and information to those who've covered women's sports at Montana State, from basketball to volleyball to tennis to skiing ... you name it.

And he also played an imperative role at MSU in the advancement of women's athletics in general, which are light years ahead of where they were when he first walked through the door in the late 1980s.

Tom Schulz / Contributed

In those days, Schulz said a crowd of 1,200 was more than adequate in Bozeman for a women's game between Montana and Montana State, back when the Lady Griz were far and away the cream of the crop. This past Saturday, 4,173 fans crammed inside Worthington Arena to see the Bobcats slap Montana by a school-record 38 points.

Schulz worked alongside women's basketball coach Tricia Binford for the past 20-plus seasons and has watched the program rise to consistent levels of success not before seen.

The Bobcats' big breakthrough came in 1993 when Big Sky MVP Cass Bauer of Hysham and coach Judy Spoelstra led the team to the league title and its first berth in the NCAA women's tournament. It took 24 years for the Cats to go back, but they've been there three times in the past nine season and are a good bet to make a return trip this year.

Schulz said his women's basketball memories "pretty much all center around Cat-Griz. When I got here that first Lady Griz team was, you know, (Lisa) McLeod and (Jeanne) McNulty and (Shannon) Cate and Vicki Austin and of course (coach) Robin Selvig. It was like, 'When are we going to beat these guys?'

"I think '92 was the first time we beat them here in Bozeman. Sarah Flock was on that team. I remember Trisha Sears hit a big 3. And then the next year was the big year, right, when we went to (our) first NCAAs."

"Volleyball, same thing," Schulz said. "(Montana) had kind of ruled the roost until Dave Gantt got here in the mid-90s. And I think, gosh, we went like 14-3 against them during the Gantt years here, too. So that would be the big volleyball memories."

Aside from the games and the moments — and Schulz has so much to look back on — he points to the countless relationships he built with coaches, athletes and administrators through the years.

Binford, now in her 21st season at the helm of the MSU women's basketball program, worked closely with Schulz from the day she arrived in 2005. She feels the same way.

"It's hard to think of MSU athletics without Tom's name wrapped around it," Binford said last week. "He's been behind the scenes as a servant leader in his role. We miss him dearly, but we're excited for him in his retirement.

"Tremendous career and commitment to MSU athletics across the board. His fingerprint is everywhere in all those kids' lives because they all know him."

Binford alluded to the fact that former athletes, when they return to Bozeman for a particular game or event, always ask where Schulz is because they want to remain connected.

"What I tell them is that they're all my family," Schulz offered. "Sarah Flock, she was the first one that I ever (wrote) a release on here. Still really good friends with her. And then that '92-93 class ... it was Class C kids. Class Bauer from Hysham, Steph Spencer from Geraldine, Sam Fluss from Terry.

"Grace Hintz ... the Hommes family, I started with Brooke and then went to Blythe and to Jasmine and now Grace. That's a cool story, too. Just a lot of kids that I have stayed close to and have really enjoyed watching them (build) their lives and raise their kids."

The biggest moment in Montana State athletics since Schulz's arrival occurred just a little over two weeks ago when the football team won the FCS national championship with a 35-34 overtime victory over Illinois State, the program's first championship since four years before Schulz even arrived in Bozeman.

That game underscored just how far the MSU athletic department has come, particularly in the past decade in terms of success in competition and infrastructure.

"There were some lean years," Schulz said. "I remember being out at the stadium and there's maybe 3,000 people there. And just to see it grow — (Cliff) Hysell and then (Mike) Kramer and (Rob) Ash and then (Jeff) Choate and what (Brent) Vigen is doing right now — it's phenomenal. When you have a community behind you, the things you can do are just tremendous."

Schulz also spoke highly of others he's worked with at MSU, such as university presidents Waded Cruzado and Geoff Gamble, former athletic director Peter Fields and the longtime chief of athletic communications, Bill Lamberty.

And it all comes back to the strong rapport Schulz built with others over the course of 38 years. That's what he'll hold onto the most.

"That's the best part," he said. "You don't think about it at the time, but when they come (back) they always want that memory. They want someone here that can tie them back to their day. That's what I've enjoyed the most, being here for those people. They come back and you get to talk to them and you get to see their family. I think that's the neatest part, the relationships."