John Marinatto, Former PC Athletic Director and Big East Commissioner, Has Died

John Marinatto, Former PC Athletic Director and Big East Commissioner, Has Died

GoLocal has learned that John Marinatto, the former commissioner of the Big East Conference, has died.

He served as senior associate commissioner of the Big East from 2002 until he began his tenure as the third commissioner of the conference on July 1, 2009. He resigned from the commissioner’s position on May 7, 2012, after less than three years.

Marinatto was a native of Providence, Rhode Island, and graduated from Providence College in 1979 with a bachelor's degree in business management.

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He worked his way up the ladder at Providence as an Associate Director of Alumni/Development and as Director of Sports Information.

Marinatto was later the athletic director at Providence for 14 years. He directed all aspects of the Providence Friars athletic program, including a $10 million annual budget and a staff of over 100 employees.

While at Providence, Marinatto served as the Chairman of the Big East Athletic Directors’ Executive Committee from 1996–2000, the longest tenure of any athletic director in the history of the conference.

He also served the conference as the Chairman of the Athletic Directors’ Finance Committee from 1992–93. In addition, Marinatto served as Chairman of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Women’s Basketball Committee and Television Committee, and was a member of the Men’s Basketball Committee, Academic Affairs Committee and Championships and Competition Committee.