SUNY Cortland Athletics

Bill Plante was a member of Cortland's inaugural varsity men's hockey team and won a New York State-record five state championships as boys' ice hockey head coach at Salmon River (N.Y.) Central School.
 
* A native of Utica and New Hartford, N.Y., he earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from Cortland in 1976, a master's degree in physical education from Cortland in 1982, and an associate degree from Herkimer County Community College in 1971
 
* Men's hockey goalie at Cortland from 1974-76, including the Red Dragons' first varsity season in 1975-76; recorded a 2.17 goals-against average in 1974-75
 
* Physical education teacher and multi-sport coach for more than 40 years in the Utica area and Moriah and Salmon River Central Schools, and served as mentor to new teachers, activities supervisor, and National Honor Society advisor
 
* New York State leader with five state hockey titles at Salmon River in 1980 (won first-ever state title game), 1981, 1989, 2001 and 2002, and runner-up finishes in 1983, 2004 and 2005; his teams won many Section Ten league and playoff titles and his 2001 team ranked fourth nationally (all high school levels)
 
* Five-time New York State Boys' Hockey Coach of the Year; won numerous Section Ten Coach of the Year awards and was a National Coach of the Year finalist
 
* With Aboriginal hockey, Team Eastern Door and the North (Team Quebec) he scouted, recruited and coached Native American men, ages 16-21, to many gold, silver and bronze medals in the National Canadian Championships
 
* Led Salmon River girls' volleyball to league, sectional and regional titles, the state "final four" in 2006, and a 2007 league championship
 
* Coached Salmon River baseball to sectional and league titles and the boys' JV lacrosse to two consecutive undefeated seasons
 
* Led town of Holland Patent women's softball team to a state title in 1977
 
* Founding member of Salmon River's Athletics Hall of Fame (individual/teams) and the New York State High School Hockey Coaches Association Hall of Fame (individual/teams); also inducted into the Greater Utica Hall of Fame, the Herkimer County Community College Alumni Wall of Honor and the SUNYIT Wildcats Hall of Fame, and was cited by NYSPHSAA for inclusion in the Century Athletic Club
 
* Started hockey programs at Herkimer County and Clinton Community Colleges, served as Head American Scout for the Cornwall Royals Major Junior Hockey Team of the Ontario Hockey League in the 1980s, and was coach and general manager of junior teams The Massena Americans of the Central Canada Hockey League (late 1980s; now the Cornwall Colts) and the Northern New York Gamblers of the International Junior Hockey League (2010-12)
 
* Professional baseball scout for the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1970s and director of operations for the Blue Jays' New York-Penn League team in Utica