Lunney to succeed Mezzanotte
Former Portsmouth AD assumes RIIL head spot
WARWICK — Turns out the person to assume the rank as the next Executive Director of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League is no stranger to the league’s mission.
For the most part, it figures to be a seamless transition for Mike Lunney, who was officially appointed to succeed outgoing RIIL Executive Director Tom Mezzanotte during Wednesday’s special meeting of the Principals’ Committee on Athletics. Lunney has been Assistant Executive Director since March 2011, hence he’s familiar with league policy along with the more-pressing matters that currently exist along with issues that have the potential of surfacing down the line.
The PCOA gave their blessing by voting unanimously (14-0). Once word reached social media that Lunney will be taking over for Mezzanotte this coming August 1, schools from the Blackstone Valley and around the state voiced their approval by flooding Twitter with congratulatory messages.
“It’s an awesome challenge and I’m looking forward to it,” said Lunney after the meeting’s conclusion. “There are some serious challenges with our officials. We’ve tackled sportsmanship problems and realignment classification. All of these items are going to continue to be discussed, but from a leadership standpoint, we can’t be afraid to change or evolve.”
Lunney’s guiding hand in the RIIL office came after he spent nearly two decades as the athletic director at Portsmouth High School. When he officially joined the Interscholastic League, Mezzanotte described it as a breath of fresh air since Lunney offered the perspective of what an AD is looking for whenever important topics are broached.
“I would always ask Mike, ‘What are they going to say out there?’ He brought a tremendous perspective to this organization, no question about it,” said Mezzanotte. “He stands by what he believes in and that’s the mission of this organization. Our colleagues, both locally and nationally, are going to be very happy about Mike taking over.”
For Lunney, the goal was never about sliding one chair over into the one occupied by Mezzanotte upon joining the Interscholastic League.
“I took a leap because I was at a place that meant a lot to me, but I also believe in what we’re trying to do here,” said Lunney. “It was never about getting to a certain spot. If you told me I would be in this position … it was all about serving the organization.”
Taking the
baton
from
Mezzanotte, Lunney needed only a few words to sum up what makes interscholastic sports so unique beginning with the schools that comprise the membership.
“I believe our diversity with schools being different sizes is our strength,” said Lunney. “It does make for some challenges, but it also allows you to look at things from different perspectives and to able to improve.”
In terms of who will succeed Lunney as RIIL Assistant Executive Director, the PCOA on Wednesday voted to form a special interview committee to find a person that will serve as his righthand person and go-to source – just like he was for Mezzanotte for the past nine years.
“I want to thank Tom for his mentorship. We’ve been talking over the past few days about some issues and I mentioned that I’m really going to miss that exchange,” said Lunney.