Candidates surface to replace Tranghese as commissioner.
The Big East hopes to have a replacement for retiring commissioner Michael Tranghese by the end of December at the latest, and names of suspected candidates are beginning to surface.

The Newark Star-Ledger reported last week that former Rutgers football player Tim Pernetti is among the candidates being considered for the job, according to several people familiar with the search. The newspaper said the people requested anonymity because the search is ongoing.

Pernetti, the executive vice president for content at the CBS College Sports Network, was a reserve tight end for the Scarlet Knights from 1990-93. He also serves as the schools radio analyst for football games and brings a background in televisionone of the key requirements in the search for Trangheses successor.

Among other non-Big East officials being considered, the sources say, are former Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg, now executive vice president for the Big 10; Central Florida athletic director Keith Tribble, the former CEO at the Orange Bowl; and University of Texas associate athletic director Christine Plonsky.

Senior associate Big East commissioner John Marinatto and associate commissioners Tom Odjakjian and Nick Carparelli Jr. are the candidates from within the conference who are being considered.

One administrator who is not a candidate is Louisville athletic director Tom Jurich. The Cardials chief executive, who won an award in 2007 honoring the nations best athletic director, has said hes not interested in the position.

During Jurichs annual summer tour to locales around the state of Kentucky (called the Cardinal Caravan) Jurich said his work at Louisville was only about halfway complete and that his focus is on the future of Louisville athletics.

Tranghese, who will step down at the end of June, has been with the league since its formation in 1979 and was the conferences first full-time employee. He has been commissioner since 1990.

According to the people familiar with the search, the initial hope was to have a replacement identified by the end of next month. But the end of December has been determined to be more realistic.

University of Pittsburgh chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg, Georgetown president John J. DeGioia and Big East consultant Kevin OMalley are overseeing the search.

Posted on October 13th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: College football news, NCAA college football