Indiana State AD RON PRETTYMAN, who on Friday announced his resignation, will become NCAA Managing Dir of Championships & Alliances, putting the College World Series, Frozen Four and FCS playoffs "directly under" his watch, according to Todd Golden of the Terre Haute TRIBUNE-STAR. Prettyman's new role also "involves oversight and management of NCAA tournaments" for sports including women's volleyball, rifle, bowling, men's tennis, bowling and women's beach volleyball. Prettyman also will "be the main NCAA liaison to the football oversight committee" that works with the CFP. Prettyman estimates 40-50 employees will be "working under him." Prettyman "replaces DAMANI LEECH, who took a job with the NFL earlier this year." Leech coordinated committees that "took care of all manner of the detail work at events including lodging, security, schedules and cultural experiences for competing athletes." It is anticipated that Prettyman's responsibilities will "be similar though he will have oversight over more tournaments in more sports." His last day at ISU will be Jan. 4, and he will "start immediately at the NCAA" (Terre Haute TRIBUNE-STAR, 12/22).
LEAVING A LEGACY: Golden in a separate piece wrote the problems Prettyman inherited at ISU in '05 now "seem like ancient history." He has "overseen growth in nearly every aspect of ISU's athletic department." Given the time he put in, the decision "wasn't an easy one, but one he felt the time was right for." Prettyman's tenure is the longest for any ISU AD since JOHN LONGFELLOW from '48-65. Prettyman: "It's a long time. ... I just felt the timing is right." Golden noted Prettyman's resignation "came as a shock to his staff." One of Prettyman's strengths was "creating a feeling of unity within the athletic department, something that was not the case when he came into the position." As of Friday, there was "no succession plan in place, or a plan for someone to take over as interim athletic director until a permanent person is hired" (Terre Haute TRIBUNE-STAR, 12/19).
