Post by elp525 on Mar 4, 2010 6:12:39 GMT -5
Thursday March 4, 2010
by Mike Casazza
Daily Mail sports writer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia University and Ed Pastilong announced Wednesday they'll honor the terms of a contract signed two years ago to send the longtime director of athletics into a two-year emeritus position beginning July 1. President Jim Clements said a national search for a replacement will begin later this month.
Pastilong, who joined the athletic department in 1976 and has been in his current position since 1989, was at the head of more than $85 million in facility renovations, the school's full-time membership in the Big East and a period in which the budget grew from $20 million to three times that today. He also introduced the Athletic Director's Academic Honor Roll and the athletic endowment fund, which has grown from $1 to $32 million.
"I'm pleased that I'll be sitting not as the director, but still helping in some capacity," Pastilong said. "I am very appreciative to the staff, to the coaches, to the student-athletes and to the fans. That's what makes a strong program and with this group I've just mentioned working together, we've been able to put together an athletic department that's competitive and that the people who follow it have enjoyed. It's been a nice run with a lot of nice people."
On Feb. 11, 2007, then-President Mike Garrison drafted an Employment Letter mapping out Pastilong's future and Pastilong signed it exactly one year later. When Garrison resigned in June 2008, the agreement was called into question. Pastilong was asked often if he'd be interested in revisiting the topic to either delay the emeritus date or removing the condition all together and he almost always answered he'd be open to staying. In December he told MetroNews' Hoppy Kercheval he'd be "receptive to maybe staying on another year, maybe two years, if (Clements) felt that was in the best interest of the athletic department and for WVU."
Privately, camps supporting Pastilong's exit and his staying in place formed and began pushing in opposite directions. Wednesday Clements said the decision was "solely mine as president of the institution" and there were "no outside influences." He said with Pastilong's help, the athletic department was in an ideal position to attract a list of qualified applicants and make the best hire possible.
When asked Wednesday, Pastilong wouldn't say if he wanted to stay on as director or change the emeritus date.
"As (Clements) started, right now the program is strong and with the competitiveness the timing is good for him to add that other person to his team," Pastilong said.
Pastilong, connected with WVU as a quarterback, recruiting coordinator, scholarship office and athletic administrator for 35 years now, will make $225,000 annually as director emeritus. He'll receive a $100,000 retention incentive for staying on through June 30 and is due $125,000 in deferred compensation split into payments to be made in 2012 and 2013.
"I have the utmost respect for Coach Ed Pastilong and the job he has done for this University," football Coach Bill Stewart said. "He has been a tremendous role model and a supportive boss. He cares about this department more than anyone I know. He will be missed greatly by me, this staff and our football program."
Clements said there's no timetable or parameters for a replacement, but was excited Pastilong had put WVU in such an attractive position.
"The programs is doing very, very well, which, in my mind, makes it a perfect time to start a national search for the next A.D.," he said. "We're getting ready to start the next strategic plan for our campus so the timing, I think, is actually very, very good in terms of getting someone in place and moving the university forward."
Should the search last beyond June 30, Pastilong will handle the day-to-day duties of the director. Both he and Clements said Pastilong would help the new director in his transition.
"Obviously, during his career, he has led West Virginia University to probably the greatest heights in all of our sports," said men's basketball Coach Bob Huggins, who Pastilong tried to hire from Cincinnati in 2002 and then did hire him from Kansas State in 2007. "He led us into the BIG EAST, and he has been the face of Mountaineer athletics for many years. I'm certainly happy for Ed and (his wife) Mona, but it's a sad day for Mountaineer athletics."
Among names connected to WVU to be considered as a replacement are Kentucky's Deputy Director of Athletics Rob Mullens, Missouri Executive Associate Athletic Director Whit Babcock, Ohio Director of Athletics Jim Schaus and Joe Safety, the vice president of communications for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Mullens, who has been at Kentucky since 2002, graduated from WVU in 1991 and has worked at Miami and Maryland. Babcock spent five years as WVU's assistant athletic director of development and executive director of development before leaving for the Tigers in 2007. He also worked five years at Auburn as the assistant athletic director for development.
Schaus, son of the late Fred Schaus, a basketball player and coach at WVU and Pastilong's predecessor as director, has been at Ohio since 2008 after spending nine years in the same role at Wichita State. He's also worked at Oregon, Cincinnati, Texas-El Paso and Northern Illinois. He earned his masters in athletic administration at WVU in 1987.
by Mike Casazza
Daily Mail sports writer
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia University and Ed Pastilong announced Wednesday they'll honor the terms of a contract signed two years ago to send the longtime director of athletics into a two-year emeritus position beginning July 1. President Jim Clements said a national search for a replacement will begin later this month.
Pastilong, who joined the athletic department in 1976 and has been in his current position since 1989, was at the head of more than $85 million in facility renovations, the school's full-time membership in the Big East and a period in which the budget grew from $20 million to three times that today. He also introduced the Athletic Director's Academic Honor Roll and the athletic endowment fund, which has grown from $1 to $32 million.
"I'm pleased that I'll be sitting not as the director, but still helping in some capacity," Pastilong said. "I am very appreciative to the staff, to the coaches, to the student-athletes and to the fans. That's what makes a strong program and with this group I've just mentioned working together, we've been able to put together an athletic department that's competitive and that the people who follow it have enjoyed. It's been a nice run with a lot of nice people."
On Feb. 11, 2007, then-President Mike Garrison drafted an Employment Letter mapping out Pastilong's future and Pastilong signed it exactly one year later. When Garrison resigned in June 2008, the agreement was called into question. Pastilong was asked often if he'd be interested in revisiting the topic to either delay the emeritus date or removing the condition all together and he almost always answered he'd be open to staying. In December he told MetroNews' Hoppy Kercheval he'd be "receptive to maybe staying on another year, maybe two years, if (Clements) felt that was in the best interest of the athletic department and for WVU."
Privately, camps supporting Pastilong's exit and his staying in place formed and began pushing in opposite directions. Wednesday Clements said the decision was "solely mine as president of the institution" and there were "no outside influences." He said with Pastilong's help, the athletic department was in an ideal position to attract a list of qualified applicants and make the best hire possible.
When asked Wednesday, Pastilong wouldn't say if he wanted to stay on as director or change the emeritus date.
"As (Clements) started, right now the program is strong and with the competitiveness the timing is good for him to add that other person to his team," Pastilong said.
Pastilong, connected with WVU as a quarterback, recruiting coordinator, scholarship office and athletic administrator for 35 years now, will make $225,000 annually as director emeritus. He'll receive a $100,000 retention incentive for staying on through June 30 and is due $125,000 in deferred compensation split into payments to be made in 2012 and 2013.
"I have the utmost respect for Coach Ed Pastilong and the job he has done for this University," football Coach Bill Stewart said. "He has been a tremendous role model and a supportive boss. He cares about this department more than anyone I know. He will be missed greatly by me, this staff and our football program."
Clements said there's no timetable or parameters for a replacement, but was excited Pastilong had put WVU in such an attractive position.
"The programs is doing very, very well, which, in my mind, makes it a perfect time to start a national search for the next A.D.," he said. "We're getting ready to start the next strategic plan for our campus so the timing, I think, is actually very, very good in terms of getting someone in place and moving the university forward."
Should the search last beyond June 30, Pastilong will handle the day-to-day duties of the director. Both he and Clements said Pastilong would help the new director in his transition.
"Obviously, during his career, he has led West Virginia University to probably the greatest heights in all of our sports," said men's basketball Coach Bob Huggins, who Pastilong tried to hire from Cincinnati in 2002 and then did hire him from Kansas State in 2007. "He led us into the BIG EAST, and he has been the face of Mountaineer athletics for many years. I'm certainly happy for Ed and (his wife) Mona, but it's a sad day for Mountaineer athletics."
Among names connected to WVU to be considered as a replacement are Kentucky's Deputy Director of Athletics Rob Mullens, Missouri Executive Associate Athletic Director Whit Babcock, Ohio Director of Athletics Jim Schaus and Joe Safety, the vice president of communications for the Los Angeles Clippers.
Mullens, who has been at Kentucky since 2002, graduated from WVU in 1991 and has worked at Miami and Maryland. Babcock spent five years as WVU's assistant athletic director of development and executive director of development before leaving for the Tigers in 2007. He also worked five years at Auburn as the assistant athletic director for development.
Schaus, son of the late Fred Schaus, a basketball player and coach at WVU and Pastilong's predecessor as director, has been at Ohio since 2008 after spending nine years in the same role at Wichita State. He's also worked at Oregon, Cincinnati, Texas-El Paso and Northern Illinois. He earned his masters in athletic administration at WVU in 1987.
