Paul Allan To Receive CoSIDA Warren Berg Award

Paul Allan, the assistant athletic director for communications at Minnesota State University, Mankato, has been named the winner of CoSIDA's 2007 Warren Berg Award. The honor goes to a college division member who has made outstanding contributions to the field of college sports information and who, by his or her activities, has brought dignity and prestige to the profession.

Allan, now in his 22nd year at MSU, will receive his award at the 2007 CoSIDA Workshop in San Diego on July 3.

Currently in his 22nd year as a member of the Minnesota State University, Mankato Athletics staff, Allan was named assistant AD for communications in 2003.

Allan is responsible for supervising public relations and media operations and provides oversight for the Department's marketing, promotions and community relations initiatives.

Under Allan's direction, the MSU Athletic Communications office has won 19 national publication awards from CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America), including ten "Best in the Nation" citations.

The Calgary, Alta., native has served as a press officer for the U.S. Olympic Committee at two U.S. Olympic Festivals (1990 in Minneapolis and 1991 in Los Angeles), one Winter World University Games (1999 in Poprad, Slovakia) and one Winter Olympic Games (1992 in Albertville, France). He served as the Venue Press Chief for hockey at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City and also spent three years as the league information director for the Northern Collegiate Hockey Association (1989-92). In addition to serving on several committees at MSU and with CoSIDA, Allan is a member of the Harlon Hill National Advisory Committee which selects the NCAA Division II football Player of the Year. He is also a regional voting member for the Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Allan has mentored several graduate and student assistants who have continued on to work in the athletic communications field. More than 20 former members of the MSU Athletic Communications staff are working or have worked in SID offices across the country at schools such as the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, the University of Concordia-St. Paul, Northwest Missouri State, the University of South Dakota, the University of Minnesota, the University of Wisconsin, the University of Arkansas and the University of Colorado, or other areas in collegiate and professional athletics.

Allan, who spent three years in the sports information office at Northern Arizona University prior to being named MSU's Sports Information Director in 1985, is a 1982 West Texas State graduate and earned a master's degree from MSU in 2002.

Allan and his wife, Lori (a '92 MSU grad), live in Eagle Lake, Minn., and have three sons - Seth, Sean and Jack.

--Release Courtesy of CoSIDA