John Marinatto obit

John Marinatto, ran Big East in time of tumult, dies at 64

 

He was not on the list.

John Marinatto, the Big East commissioner during a tumultuous period of conference realignment across college sports, has died. He was 64.

Providence College, Marinatto's alma mater and the school where he began a long career in college sports, said he died Saturday. The cause was not disclosed.

Marinato was living in the Providence, Rhode Island, area at the time of his death.

The Providence native began working in sports administration at his hometown school as a student in 1975 and was mentored by future Big East Conference commissioners Dave Gavitt and Mike Tranghese.

“In 48 years, we never exchanged a cross word,” Tranghese said. "And I take no credit for that. It's hard to go through life and not have enemies. John Marinatto may be the only person I know who didn't have enemies. He was extremely well liked and well respected.”

Marinatto also worked under current New York Islanders President Lou Lamoriello while at Providence and was sports information director when Rick Pitino was basketball coach of the Friars.

“He was a really hard worker. An outstanding lieutenant and leader,” said Dan Gavitt, Dave Gavitt's son and the vice president of basketball for the NCAA.

Marinatto had plans to become a Catholic priest when he was young, but instead followed a calling to college athletics. He rose from SID to athletic director at Providence and held that role for more than a decade. He joined the Big East in 2002 as a senior associate commissioner.

“He loved working, but he loved being in the background,” Tranghese said.

Tranghese credited Marinatto with being the architect of the Big East's reconstruction in the early 2000s after the first round of departures nearly wrecked the conference