Posted this in another thread.
He was a target for many schools' angst, including RU. But he was apparently the architect of adding Louisville and others to the Big East, which helped Rutgers gain prominence in football. He seemed like a truly nice guy.
Had wondered what happened to Marinatto. Mabye it was posted , but he passed away last June at 63. He never married. After the collapse of the Big East as a football conference, he became a recluse.
"Marinatto followed Tranghese and became the third Big East commissioner in 2009. Not long after, the conference started to splinter again and Marinatto was unable to hold it together.
“He carried that burden around with him the rest of his life,” said former Big East Associate Commissioner Nick Carparelli, now the executive director of Bowl Season, an organization that promotes and supports postseason college football games."
"Tranghese said Marinatto blamed himself for the Big East coming undone.
“I had many conversations with him because that was absolutely not the case,” Tranghese said. “The deck was stacked. There were circumstances totally out of his control.”
Dan Gavitt said: “It speaks to John’s sense of duty and responsibility that he felt that personally he allowed realignment to happen on his watch.”
Marinatto became somewhat reclusive. Even many of his close friends and colleagues from his time in college sports did not see him often."
Another article on Marinatto, by Pete Thamel:
Seems he fit the adage that nice guys finish last:
"In the wake of the Big East’s implosion, he confided that he was too embarrassed to go to the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru for his beloved iced coffee."
He was a target for many schools' angst, including RU. But he was apparently the architect of adding Louisville and others to the Big East, which helped Rutgers gain prominence in football. He seemed like a truly nice guy.
Had wondered what happened to Marinatto. Mabye it was posted , but he passed away last June at 63. He never married. After the collapse of the Big East as a football conference, he became a recluse.
"Marinatto followed Tranghese and became the third Big East commissioner in 2009. Not long after, the conference started to splinter again and Marinatto was unable to hold it together.
“He carried that burden around with him the rest of his life,” said former Big East Associate Commissioner Nick Carparelli, now the executive director of Bowl Season, an organization that promotes and supports postseason college football games."
"Tranghese said Marinatto blamed himself for the Big East coming undone.
“I had many conversations with him because that was absolutely not the case,” Tranghese said. “The deck was stacked. There were circumstances totally out of his control.”
Dan Gavitt said: “It speaks to John’s sense of duty and responsibility that he felt that personally he allowed realignment to happen on his watch.”
Marinatto became somewhat reclusive. Even many of his close friends and colleagues from his time in college sports did not see him often."
John Marinatto, ran Big East in time of tumult, dies at 64
John Marinatto, the Big East commissioner during a tumultuous period of conference realignment across college sports, has died. He was 64.
apnews.com
Another article on Marinatto, by Pete Thamel:
Seems he fit the adage that nice guys finish last:
"In the wake of the Big East’s implosion, he confided that he was too embarrassed to go to the Dunkin’ Donuts drive-thru for his beloved iced coffee."
Here's why collapse of Big East shouldn't define John Marinatto's legacy
“It’s something that hit him very hard,” said Colonial Athletic Association commissioner Joe D’Antonio, who worked under Marinatto at PC and in the Big East. “And unfortunately, it stayed with him right until his last day.”
sports.yahoo.com