Dallas City Wire

CSU Pueblo Athletics Establishes John Wristen Championship Fund

The Colorado State University Pueblo Athletics Department has recently unveiled the John Wristen Championship Fund to help support the ThunderWolves football program.

The John Wristen Championship Fund was established to honor and help sustain the excellence that Coach Wristen accomplished in his 14 years at the helm of CSU Pueblo's football program.

"Coach Wristen established a culture that helped make CSU Pueblo one of the top collegiate football programs, not only in the RMAC, but in all of NCAA Division II," said Dr. Paul Plinske, CSU Pueblo Vice President for Athletics and Strategic Partnerships. "This fund in Coach Wristen's name will help us maintain the high standard of excellence that Coach Wristen established with our football program." 

CSU Pueblo head football coach Philip Vigil, who was announced as Wristen's replacement in late December, says that the John Wristen Championship Fund will help continue to keep the ThunderWolves football program among the elite in Division II.

"Coach Wristen's impact extends much farther than just CSU Pueblo football and now with the John Wristen Championship Fund we have the opportunity contribute to his legacy of building champions by keeping CSU Pueblo football among the elite DII programs in the country," said Vigil. "I cannot think of a better way to honor Coach Wristen for what he has done than to give to CSU Pueblo football in his name's sake."

Wristen was hired as the school's head football coach in 2008. Since that hiring, Wristen set the trajectory of the CSU Pueblo football program on course to win Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and NCAA Championships. In doing so, he transformed the lives of many.

"I'm very humbled and excited about the John Wristen Championship Fund. I believe if the standard is winning championships, we need to do that in our work ethic, attitude and philanthropy," Wristen said. "This fund is set up to impact the lives of the student-athletes that want to compete both on and off the field."

During Wristen's 14 seasons as CSU Pueblo's head football coach, the program won 78 percent of its games, captured eight RMAC titles, took home the 2014 NCAA Division II National Championship and compiled a 133-37 won-loss record. Additionally, Wristen had the highest winning percentage among college football coaches in the state of Colorado.

The tax-deductible donations to the John Wristen Championship Fund will be used to provide enhancements for the Pack football program, in terms of scholarships and Name, Image and Likeness (NLI) opportunities for our football student-athletes. 

Original source can be found here