Ray Plutko, who served as the CIF Southern Section’s commissioner of athletics from 1980 to 1986, has died. He was 85.
The Southern Section office announced the news of Plutko’s passing in a release Thursday afternoon.
Plutko also was a very familiar face in the Inland Empire. He was a teacher, basketball coach and administrator at Notre Dame High School during the early 1970s and also was the principal when King High School opened in the fall of 1999.
“He was known as a strong leader with a tremendous work ethic who was also loved and respected by those with whom he worked,” current Southern Section commissioner Mike West said in the release. “He had a tremendous impact on both the Southern Section and education-based athletics as a whole and will truly be missed.”
Plutko, who was born in McKeesport, Penn., came to Notre Dame High School in 1970 as a teacher and boys basketball coach. He also served as the school’s athletic director and as an assistant principal before becoming an administrative assistant at the CIF Southern Section office in 1975. Plutko initially was responsible for football, basketball and baseball and reorganized the football playoffs into a regional format. He became the section’s fifth commission in July of 1980.
In 1986, Plutko left that position to become the commissioner of the Colorado High School Activities Association.
Plutko returned to California in 1991 and served as the principal at Charter Oak and Temple City high schools before being selected as King’s first principal.
“He was a very unique and great leader through example,” former King High School athletic director Tony Masi said. “He was just one of those extremely impactful and influential individuals. He was a taskmaster and demanded you do the right things. But he always did it with love in his heart. His leadership in those years that I got to work with him really changed the way I did things.”
Plutko returned to Temple City as its principal in 2004 and held that position until retiring in 2007. He continued to work with the Southern Section until 2020. Plutko was the section’s basketball championships tournament director for more than 30 years.
Service information is pending.
Plutko is survived by his wife, Sharon, and their five children Greg, Gary, Dana, Kari and Kevin.
