We have some unfortunate news to share as defensive coordinator at Colorado State University-Pueblo and former Colorado Buffalo player Donnell Leomiti had died at age 47.

Leomiti had been on staff at Colorado State University-Pueblo dating back to 2008 but his tenure with the program comes to a tragic ending following his recent death due to pancreatic cancer. Austin White of The Pueblo Chieftain was the first to share this tragic news.

Leomiti had been battling cancer for seven years.

″(Leomiti) was a guy who always left a mark because of his demeanor toward everyone and the way he treated everyone,” CSUP head coach John Wristen said. “He’s one of the first people I called to help start this program from scratch. I’m glad he was with me from day one.”

Following a strong showing from his defense did last season, Leomiti was named NCAA Division II 2019 Assistant of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association. During Leomiti’s time with the program, CSUP won the Division II national championship back in 2014.