Sinclair Athletic Director Jack Giambrone, known as “Coach G,” was recently named the Assistant Commissioner of the Ohio Community College Athletic Conference (OCCAC).
“(The OCCAC) had talked about this – about providing a position to make the conference operate better,” Giambrone said.
Giambrone said the process of creating the position has been a year in the making.
“(I) was behind the scenes visiting different athletic directors on their campus, going to different events,” he said.
In September a meeting was held in Cleveland to decide whether the position would be created – which it was – according to Giambrone. Next, candidates were solicited and Giambrone was selected for the position.
OCCAC Commisioner Scott Barlow, who is also the Athletic Director for Lakewood Community, said that he was glad that the assistant commissioner position was created and Giambrone was chosen for the position.
“(The OCCAC) expects this position to become a vital part of the conference and invaluable in helping the conference move forward with many initiatives,” Barlow said in an E-mail. “(Giambrone) is a great selection for this position. He is meticulous, a hard worker and he keeps the ideals of what is best for the conference in the forefront.”
Giambrone said the position will require him to oversee the OCCAC Ethics committee, seek legal representation for the conference and develop ways to keep the OCCAC athletically competitive.
With his new position, Giambrone said his primary focus will be Sinclair.
“Always, Sinclair comes first,” he said.
Giambrone is setting his sights on trying to not only make the OCCAC better, but the region, including Ohio, Michigan and Indiana schools.
“(My goal) is how can we make it a strong region versus just two or three strong conferences,” Giambrone said. “I think power in numbers is important. How can we align ourselves with the Michigan schools, the Indiana schools to be one great region.”
Though Giambrone is wearing a new hat, to go along with his others as a professor and an A.D., he welcomes the new additions to his schedule.
“(My life) has been tremendously busy, but with that I’ve found a second wind,” Giambrone said. “With busy comes a lot of opportunities for excitement and success.”