BECKLEY — West Virginia University’s new leader, President James Clements, has decided to launch a national search for a director to lead the school’s self-sustaining athletic department which currently operates with an annual budget in the neighborhood of $60 million.
Yes, the big business of college athletics has grown exponentially during the last three decades. And there is no bigger success story than what has taken place at WVU.
For the last 21 years the athletic department has been under the guidance of Ed Pastilong and there can be no argument as to the results he has produced.
Labeled by many as the “Golden Era” for Mountaineer sports, the department has recently been experiencing its most successful time, across-the-board in 17 varsity sports, as far as competition is concerned.
More than $65 million in facility renovations and improvements and a tripling of the operating budget has taken place. Guiding the department into membership in the Big East Conference, establishment of an endowed scholarship program, creation of an academic support center for student-athletes and the beginning of the WVU Sports Hall of Fame — all under Pastilong’s watch.
Those are the highlights.
There have been bumps along the way, certainly. But there can be no argument as to the level to which Pastilong has taken the entire Mountaineer athletic program.
It has never been any better. Just take a look back at what was happening before he took the helm.
WVU supporters have become a rabid, often finicky bunch. When the programs under the spotlight — namely football and men’s basketball — don’t win every time out, fans like to gripe and complain, forgetful of the past when simply having a winning season was big news.
Pastilong, in a mostly quiet way, put the wheels in motion which have served to spoil Mountaineer fans — winning programs now competing at the highest level.
So when Clements announced last week that WVU would be honoring a previously signed contract that will essentially force Pastilong into retirement status as athletic director emeritus for two years, beginning in July, we were a little surprised.
Pastilong told us just last month he would be willing to continue on in his full-time capacity as athletic director for the next few years. Given his track record, it just made sense.
It also made sense to us that if WVU is obligated to pay his annual contract of $200,000-plus for the next two years, why not keep a good thing going? It would have been fiscally prudent as well.
As we all know, it didn’t happen that way and Clements will be bringing in his own man and Pastilong will remain on in an advisory role into 2012.
When the word trickled down, Pastilong was as he always is, gracious and thankful, while being supportive of his alma mater.
True Mountaineer fans who look at Pastilong’s body of work can only be thankful for what the Moundsville native brought to the table for WVU. Years from now when they look back at the “Golden Era,” they should remember the man who was guiding the ship.
We wish President Clements well in leading the search for Pastilong’s successor; it won’t be an easy task.
