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Posted by Willy on 2/22/2008, 5:00 am
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West Virginia University Athletic Director Ed Pastilong said Thursday he plans to retire in 2010 but will serve in a transitional role for another two years.
Pastilong, who recently celebrated his 65th birthday, said he discussed his retirement with WVU President Mike Garrison early last fall.
"I just felt it was time to turn the keys over, and by giving President Garrison a notice that would allow he and his staff to plan. And I think that's important and I want to do it in a proper manner,'' Pastilong said. "I've enjoyed my 33 years of working at WVU and my five years of being a student athlete.''
Pastilong said WVU's dispute with former football coach Rich Rodriguez over a $4 million buyout clause in Rodriguez's contract had nothing to do with his decision to retire.
"There's always an issue that comes up that draws a great deal of attention,'' he said, citing as an example the defections of Miami, Boston College and Virginia Tech from the Big East several years ago.
"There'll be something next year that will be monumental. We'll work through that. We've always tried to, during those periods, use it as an opportunity to better the situation.''
Pastilong's retirement is effective June 30, 2010. He will then serve as athletic director emeritus until June 30, 2012, assisting with the transition of a new athletic director, helping with development efforts to support the athletics department, and other duties, according to a contract modification agreement Pastilong signed on Feb. 11.
As athletic director emeritus, Pastilong will continue to earn his annual $225,000 salary but will no longer be eligible for incentive payments for WVU bowl or tournament appearances. These payments include $40,000 if the football team appears in a BCS bowl and $20,000 if the men's basketball team appears in the NCAA or NIT tournaments, according to the agreement.
Pastilong has served as WVU's athletic director for 19 years. He was promoted to the post in July 1989 after serving 10 years as an associate AD and assistant AD.
During his tenure as athletic director, the WVU athletics' budget has grown from $12 million to $48 million, Pastilong said.
"The finances are quite complex. However, it still comes back to good student athletes being coached by good coaches and loyal fans coming to the games,'' he said. "At the end of the year, having the most wins.''
"But while you do that, make sure you do it the way your alums and your institution want it to be conducted. We've tried to do that and feel good about it.''
Pastilong earned a bachelor's degree in physical education from WVU in 1966 and earned a master's degree from the university. He was the Mountaineers' quarterback for the 1964 and 1965 seasons.
The Moundsville native joined WVU's football program in 1976 as a recruiting coordinator. Before that he served as football coach at Scott High School and the former Salem College.
One of his first acts as WVU's athletic director was to promote the school's inclusion in the Big East football conference. The university became a full Big East member in 1995.
During his overall tenure with the department, Pastilong has been involved in the development of an athletic master plan that included the construction and upgrade of Mountaineer Field, new indoor football practice facility, gymnastics center, new soccer fields and other improvements.
He considers joining the Big East and expanding the athletics facilities as highlights of his career, along with the competitiveness of the school's teams, including the football team's 48-28 victory over Oklahoma in this year's Fiesta Bowl.
Pastilong said he expects the first few weeks or months of retirement to feel unusual after working so long in a high-profile, demanding job.
"You take the job home with you. ... In fact, most of the weekends you're working,'' he said. "Two years from now, I plan on fishing on those weekends.''
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