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Happy Ending for Big East Conference Commissioner
BY BERNIE BEGLANE
“It’s been a fairy tale.”
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Michael Tranghese |
Michael Tranghese, after 30 years of loyal service to the Big East Conference – the last 19 as commissioner – is leaving.
Officially, his departure takes place next June.
“I am a little Italian kid from Springfield (Mass.) who could not play,” offered the 64-year-old Providence College graduate.
“Instead, I became commissioner of the Big East Conference. It’s a fairy tale.
“No question, I am going to miss the games.
“I’m spoiled since I had the best seat in the house for 30 years.”
Tranghese, upon graduating from the Dominican Fathers’ school, remained at his alma mater as the sports information director.
Dave Gavitt was basketball coach and athletic director at the time, and in 1979 he pushed to bring the top basketball schools in the East into forming the conference.
Gavitt succeeded in achieving his goal and became the initial commissioner.
Tranghese left his publicity position to become the Big East’s first employee. He became the ‘detail guy’ and was an easy choice to replace Gavitt who departed to run the Boston Celtics.
Football was a hot topic around that time, but Gavitt, for the most part, avoided the subject.
Tranghese embraced it and the sport was approved. Miami was one of the first schools to join and it did not take the conference long before it won national titles in football as well as in basketball.
The Big East qualified eight schools for the basketball tourney one year.
“I got the job on June 21 and two weeks later we had an emergency meeting about Miami and football,” Tranghese recalled. “I’ve worried about the conference’s survival too much. It’s been a lot of years dealing with the make-up of the league and making sure it would work.”
The biggest test on that front came when the Atlantic Coast Conference enticed BC, Miami and Virginia Tech to leave for a greener financial future. The league came close to splitting into football-basketball factions, but the presidents of football schools such as Pittsburgh, Syracuse and West Virginia, voted to stay together and grow the conference to 16 schools.
At the time, the two factions agreed to stick together until at least 2009-10.
While fans of some of the eight football colleges insist that they need a ninth partner solely for scheduling reasons, Tranghese doesn’t see any impetus for a split.
“There is a five-year plan,” he related, “but that does not say you have to do anything, and I spoke with three presidents of football schools at our meetings last month who are ecstatic with the way everything has worked out.
“We have too many good things going for us, for all the schools. What do you gain by separating? Maybe a little money. I know the football schools wouldn’t be on TV as much.
“They couldn’t play the basketball tournament in Madison Square Garden. I tell you that everyone is much more educated on all the issues than they were a few years ago.”
The Big East, under Tranghese, has its own television network to go with the contracts negotiated with CBS and ESPN.
Tranghese insists he is not retiring. He says he’d like to work at a slower pace, improve his golf game and perhaps even teach.
Gavitt, who sat in on a conference call announcing Tranghese’s move said, “For someone who put his heart and soul into creating this thing, this is a bittersweet day. This league has been really well run.”
Who will be the next Big East commissioner? Tranghese said he would provide guidance but would leave it up to the conference’s presidents council.
“Mike leaving is a big void,” Connecticut basketball coach Jim Calhoun said. “I was thinking today, and couldn’t quite frankly come up with any names of who could replace him.”
Tranghese, who served five years on the NCAA’s tournament selection committee, concluded, “I’m not sick, I haven’t been forced out, and I’m not going to take another job.”
High Speed Falcons
Bishop Ford junior Malekah Holland, left, center, captured the Brooklyn-Queens Cross-Country Championship and in so doing qualified for the state cross-country championship. Bishop Ford Girls Varsity coach and English teacher Deana Phillippe is pictured congratulating Holland along with Bishop Ford President Raymond Nash. At right, Nash congratulates Bishop Ford senior Paul Gilhuley on winning the CHSAA Cross-Country City Championship. The Bishop Ford Boys Varsity Cross-Country team, coached by physical education teacher Larry Medina finished third in the city and qualified for the state cross-country championship.
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