The previous Massive East commissioner John Marinatto has died
John Marinatto, the Massive East commissioner throughout a tumultuous interval of convention realignment throughout faculty sports activities, has died. He was 64.
Windfall School, Marinatto’s alma mater and the college the place he started a protracted profession in faculty sports activities, stated he died Saturday. The trigger was not disclosed.
Marinato was residing within the Windfall, Rhode Island, space on the time of his dying.
The Windfall native started working in sports activities administration at his hometown college as a scholar in 1975 and was mentored by future Massive East Convention commissioners Dave Gavitt and Mike Tranghese.
“In 48 years, we by no means exchanged a cross phrase,” Tranghese stated. “And I take no credit score for that. It is arduous to undergo life and never have enemies. John Marinatto will be the solely individual I do know who did not have enemies. He was extraordinarily nicely appreciated and nicely revered.”
Marinatto rose from sports activities info director to athletic director at Windfall and held that position for greater than a decade earlier than becoming a member of the Massive East in 2002 as a senior affiliate commissioner.
“He liked working, however he liked being within the background,” Tranghese stated.
Tranghese credited Marinatto with being the architect of the Massive East’s reconstruction within the early 2000s after the primary spherical of exits practically wrecked the convention.
When Boston School, Virginia Tech and Miami left for the Atlantic Coast Convention, the Massive East added Louisville, South Florida, DePaul, Cincinnati and Marquette.
The outcome was an excellent convention that grew to become a powerhouse in basketball and nonetheless sturdy sufficient to be thought of one of many high faculty leagues.
Marinatto adopted Tranghese and have become the third Massive East commissioner in 2009. Not lengthy after, the convention began to splinter once more and Marinatto was unable to carry it collectively.
Finally, the basketball colleges break up from the soccer colleges and took the identify Massive East. The soccer colleges rebranded because the American Athletic Convention.
Marinatto resigned in Could 2012.
Tranghese stated Marinatto blamed himself for the Massive East coming undone.
“I had many conversations with him as a result of that was completely not the case,” Tranghese stated. “The deck was stacked. There have been circumstances completely out of his management.”
Marinatto grew to become considerably reclusive. Even a lot of his shut mates and colleagues from his time in faculty sports activities didn’t see him usually.
“He did not be in contact with lots of people and I believe that is for probably the most half as a result of when folks reached out to him it was to see how he was doing and he did not actually wish to discuss that,” Carparelli stated. “However in the event you ever known as him and instructed him that you simply had an issue or wanted his assist, he known as you again instantly and stayed by your aspect till the issue was resolved. Very selfless particular person. And I am going to miss him dearly.”
Marinatto by no means married. He’s survived by a brother.
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