John Marinatto resigned as the commissioner of the Big East on Monday after three years of service to conference. Marinatto earned his share of criticism during the saga of conference realignment. He recently saw Pittsburgh and Syracuse walk to the ACC, but was also instrumental in bringing on Boise State to keep the Big East afloat for the time being.
Regardless of how his legacy is ultimately judged, it is clear that the constant pressures of the job ultimately wore Marinatto down. He admitted as much to the Associated Press when asked about his decision to step down.
"I've been running a marathon not only for the last eight months but for the last 2 1/2 years," he said. "As fulfilling as it can be, it is equally draining. All the assets are in place right now (in the Big East). It's probably time for a commercialized kind of perspective. Clearly the collegiate model is dead."
Marinatto said that he began conferring with conference presidents in April about retiring. He was the conference's third commissioner. Now, former Miami Dolphins CEO Joseph Bailey III will take over as the interim commissioner while Cincinnati president Gregory Williams chairs the search for a permanent replacement.
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