If you're reading this blog, you maybe didn't know Pete Witbeck well. He came from a pre-blog generation.
The former associate athletics director and assistant coach at BYU passed away, Wednesday, which is a true loss to BYU. He was a decades-long fixture at Cougar events. What made him stand out was his kindness and friendliness. He was unfailingly gracious to visiting teams and fans.
What some don't know is that Witbeck was instrumental in recruiting BYU basketball legend Kresimir Cosic. He once told me of rising at 5 a.m. to coordinate recruiting calls with Cosic in Yugoslavia. It was Witbeck who picked Cosic up at the Salt Lake airport when he came to play for the Cougars. Witbeck needed to bring along an interpreter, since Cosic didn't speak English. Witbeck was in the midst of explaining the honor code rules when, at Point of the Mountain, Cosic said, "Stop the car!"
He then asked Witbeck, "What do you do at BYU for fun?"
Witbeck went on to say he "put him to bed every night and got him up every morning for a year" while Cosic was acclimating to BYU. Eventually Cosic joined the LDS Church and became widely regarded for his missionary work with the Church.
But this story isn't about Cosic -- though he, too, had a remarkable story. It's about Witbeck, who was an unassuming gentleman and friend, not only to BYU fans, but any who came in contact with him.I never recall seeing him when I wasn't met with a handshake and kind words. But he was that way with everyone.
He set a standard for athletics – both in excellence and sportsmanship – that continues today.