John Marinatto resigns as Big East Commish

[epark88]

Got my athletic supporter at the ready as well.

It depends on who the league hires, though: if the new guy's from outside the 401 area code, okay. If not, then I'm walking around all week like a soccer player guarding a free kick...

 

[Carl Spackler]

Chuck Neinas would be my choice. By all accounts he's available as of July 1.

 

[freescooter]

Well, let's look at former Providence Athletic Directors and assistant athletic directors. even the current one...I hope the Big East leadership has decided its time to really break the mold.

If they can get Jurich to take it that would be great. Or even someone who has been successful in another area...Scott came from womens tennis for heaven sakes. The Big East is at a crucial time. Maybe even a tv e would make sense. If Dan Gavitt even gets an interview we are heading in the wrong direction...

 

[epark88]

Joe Bailey is the interim commish.

Nah, I never heard of him either...

 

[B1GEast]

I feel a kick in the nuts coming. It feels like something is hitting the fan and we just don't know it yet.

Maybe a good thing, Like Uconn to the ACC.

 

[B1GEast]

This is just stunning. This clearly shows that football will be the focus of the conference going forward IMO. JM should have taken the TV money ESPN threw at him and not waited for 2013. WVU, Pitt and Cuse might have stayed in this conference.

 

[mattp]

when you look at what this conference has become, it's pretty absurd to have a guy from Providence, or any bball only as the commissioner. it was absurd before, but it was the precedent but now with the new blood there's no reason to stick to precedent. how did we ever have a commissioner that was an AD at a school that only plays half the sports? PC's AD makes as much sense as the ND AD in terms of candidacy. at least if Swarbrick took the job people could wet themselves over the prospect of ND football joining, even though they still wouldn't

that being said, my prediction for his replacement: Robert Driscoll
http://www.friars.com/school-bio/prov-athdir-bio.html

 

[metsfan2323]

We need a Donald Trump type. Someone who will hit the airwaves and tell everyone how great we are. My guess is they do want someone with more salesmanship/charisma/gravitas. Could a new President get everyone to sign a blood oath that makes it impossible to leave?

 

[B1GEast]

 

[IMind]

This is just stunning. This clearly shows that football will be the focus of the conference going forward IMO. JM should have taken the TV money ESPN threw at him and not waited for 2013. WVU, Pitt and Cuse might have stayed in this conference.

That's the biggest lie told by Syracuse and Pit. Taking the money wouldn't have kept them in conference for a second. It's the one right thing the Big East did strategically... but they didn't have the stability to stay together once ESPN/ACC land grab occurred.

 

[B1GEast]

That's the biggest lie told by Syracuse and Pit. Taking the money wouldn't have kept them in conference for a second. It's the one right thing the Big East did strategically... but they didn't have the stability to stay together once ESPN/ACC land grab occurred.

I guess you were in the room with Pitt and Syracuse when you found this out. Why do people says or write things like this? Who really knows what Pitt and Syracuse were really thinking?

 

[FDNY99]

Good riddance!!! My gut tells me that this is a precursor to something else...and I hope we end up on the right side of this something else if it happens. Worst case scenario is Hathaway gets the job!

 

[UConnSportsGuy]

JM should have taken the TV money ESPN threw at him and not waited for 2013.

I am in no way trying to justify anything JM has done, but this argument just doesn't hold water. You do know that the ESPN contract was put to a vote of BE Presidents and was voted down 12-4. While JM should be blamed for a lot of things, I don't think you can pin that one solely on him.

 

[CTMike]

"A source said Marinatto's exit had been building for weeks. The source said the basketball members in the Big East were upset that they had no say in the expansion process."
Ugh. Just threw up a little.

But that also doesn't really hold water though, since the members have to vote on new members, right?

 

[B1GEast]

I am in no way trying to justify anything JM has done, but this argument just doesn't hold water. You do know that the ESPN contract was put to a vote of BE Presidents and was voted down 12-4. While JM should be blamed for a lot of things, I don't think you can pin that one solely on him.

You're correct. I don't know this, it's just my opinion.

 

[epark88]

Prospective Candidates?
Start with Jurich. Who Else?

Of the few names bandied about, the most intriguing ones besides Jurich are Kevin Weiberg, Tim Pernetti and Greg Shaheen. Either of those would work for me.

My preference is still Weiberg, with Shaheen a close second...

 

[IMind]

I guess you were in the room with Pitt and Syracuse when you found this out. Why do people says or write things like this? Who really knows what Pitt and Syracuse were really thinking?

So you know for sure that they would have stayed if they had taken the money.. you have some inside information other than Boheim giving a self serving interview?

It's all speculation. It hardly matters. People write all kinds of things... I keep wondering why people think that some mediocre contract from ESPN would be enough to keep 'Cuse and Pitt in the conference....

It doesn't make any sense is why: Cuse and Pitt were schools that would have benefited the most by NOT taking the ESPN contract. The money wasn't good enough when compared to what the other conferences were getting and going to get. The latest Big 12 rumors bear that out.

What makes more sense is that Cuse and Pitt weighed there options and thought future ACC contracts are going to be better than future Big East contracts so we'll go to the conference that will get more money in the long run.

What doesn't make sense is for them to sit in a room and go... "If only the Big East had taken a mediocre contract then we would have definitely stayed!"

 

[Johnbuoy]

Why can't I be the BE Commish? I mean, after all it was my second choice of dream jobs.​

(Posted with regrets. I just couldn't help myself. )​

 

[CTMike]

Two tidbits courtesy of AA...
http://espn.go.com/blog/bigeast/post/_/id/32558/statements-from-marinatto-big-east

• The Conference also announced that it has retained The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) to review its organizational design and structure.
• The search for the new commissioner will be chaired by Cincinnati president Gregory H. Williams, a member of the Big East Executive Committee.

 

[ScottVib]

According to ESPN hoops schools, fed up with football expansion forced him out and led the charge (G-Town) 12-4 on the No vote for the TV deal.

Wonder if the rumored split is finally in the works?

 

[TouchdownHusky]

Maybe a good thing, Like Uconn to the ACC.

That would be sweet.

 

[businesslawyer]

The most likely scenarios:

1. The membership -- including both hoops and pigskin -- wanted a change in leadership.

2. A split is coming and M didn't want to be a part of it.

3. The Big East, in the new BCS arrangement, will be on the CUSA level and not the ACC level, and the other conferences gave M time to resign before announcing it.

So yeah -- it could be a good thing and the kick in the nuts may be coming. We'll have to wait and see.

 

[junglehusky]

If it was the BBall schools that made this happen, I wonder how the presidents of SMU, Houston, UCF, Memphis, Boise, Navy and SDSU feel about this? Whoever gets the job is going to have a lot of constituencies to keep happy.

 

[CTMike]

I'd be shocked if Boston Consulting Group didn't conclude that makeup of the Big East is inefficient, given the vast differences/interests amongst members. And I'm glad that a guy from Cinci chairing up the search for a new leader. I wonder if this does hint at a potential split as others have mentioned...

 

[IMind]

I'd be shocked if Boston Consulting Group didn't conclude that makeup of the Big East is inefficient, given the vast differences/interests amongst members. And I'm glad that a guy from Cinci chairing up the search for a new leader. I wonder if this does hint at a potential split as others have mentioned...

I posted on the Conference Realignment Board, that it might not hint at a split, the Cinci guy could be seen as a compromise. Someone who's name rarely comes up during expansion rumors, who would be more motivated to maintain the Big East as stands, but who's school plays football