Photo by Rick Thorp Dirk DeCoy, left, and Tom Ratacizak pose for a photo. DeCoy will take over as OVAC Executive Director on Monday.

There’s a cliche in life that says, ‘leave it better than you found it.’

As it pertains to Tom Rataiczak’s 20-year tenure as the Executive Director and Treasurer of the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference, there’s no argument that he accomplished that.

Now, however, it’s time to hand the baton to someone else.

Rataiczak will formally relinquish the reins of OVAC Executive Director Monday morning at which time Dirk DeCoy — who has spent more than a year shadowing Rataiczak — will formally take over the position.

“It’s not the end,” Rataiczak said. “I keep telling people that I don’t use the word retirement or resigned. I am simply changing positions.”

Indeed.

Rataiczak will remain active in the OVAC and continue to serve as the conference’s treasurer, a job he assumed when Nancy Mumley retired some 10 years ago.

“For the next year, I’ll still be extremely visible (in the OVAC),” Rataiczak said. “(Former Queen of Queens director) Linda Myers once said, ‘being involved with the OVAC is like being in the mafia. The only way you get out is when you die.’ It’s a family that once it gets in your blood, you can’t get away from it.”

Just after retiring from Bellaire Local Schools where he taught English for 30 years, Rataiczak was approached by taking on a larger role with the OVAC after Sam Mumley’s death. Mumley had served the OVAC in the executive secretary role for 32 years.

Upon accepting the position, Rataiczak believed he had a legitimate chance to surpass the tenure length that Mumley had served.

“I was 53 when I was hired and I thought, ‘I’ll beat 32 years in a heartbeat,'” Rataiczak explained.

“After I got in it, I thought, ‘how did he make it 32 years?’ Twenty has taken its toll on me.”

Rataiczak accepted the job under the notion that it was a “15-to-20 hour-per-week job where you attend some events.”

“I thought this is a sweet gig,” Rataiczak said. “I anticipated it being more than that, but I never thought it would turn into what he’s become.”

What it’s become is a job that has something — such as a meeting, event, etc. — outside of normal office work every three days.

Quite simply, just behind his wife, Linda, children Sheri (McAninch), Terry and 11 grandchildren, the OVAC has basically become Rataiczak’s life and much more than a part-time job.

In the past 20 years, the OVAC has grown in nearly every way imaginable.

Whether you’re talking about sports, membership, classes, scholarships or opportunities beyond the playing field for Ohio Valley students, the OVAC has clearly expanded its reach. And Rataiczak — an OVAC Hall of Famer — has had his fingerprints all over the growth.

“I am definitely proud of the accomplishments we’ve had,” Rataiczak said. “Have we left the conference in a better spot? Yeah. Have we raised the bar? Absolutely!”

Rataiczak was quick to point out while he’s credited for much of the growth, he by no means did anything alone.

“I recently read the list of things accomplished in the last 20 years and I made sure I explained (to the audience) it was what ‘we’ accomplished,” Rataiczak said. “Whether it was athletically, academically or financially, we’ve accomplished some amazing things. I wouldn’t trade the last 20 years for anything.”

Some of the highlights of the Rataiczak OVAC tenure include:

∫ Institution of the OVAC Wheeling Hospital Basketball Championship

∫ Institution of the new format of the OVAC Track and Field Championship

∫ Institution of the dual-meet wrestling tournament

∫ Agreeing to a deal with Scholastic Sports Marketing, which has greatly aided conference finances

∫ Fourteeen new members were approved for membership

∫ Founding of the OVAC Hall of Fame and Museum at WesBanco Arena.

∫ Founding the OVAC Band Showcase

∫ Increased Sports World speakers in the schools

∫ Increased scholarships

∫ Academic and athletic awards at the Banquet of Champions

∫ Developed Varsity Board

∫ Started championship events for junior high in cross country, track and cheerleading

∫ Started 50-year reunion for OVAC All-Star Football Game.

Rataiczak really can just shake his head when he looks up and down the list of accomplishments and areas of growth.

“There’s definitely a lot to be proud of,” Rataiczak said. “Those things didn’t happen over night or by myself that’s something I’ve tried to stress to Dirk for the future.”

One area not listed that Rataiczak is also extremely proud of the maturity and growth of many people who have taken on expanded roles in the conference.

Rataiczak’s final decision to step away from one role didn’t happen over night. But, it wasn’t going to happen until he knew that he was leaving it in the right hands.

“I had to feel comfortable with the person before I was going to give the job up,” Rataiczak said.

It was by shear luck and being in the right place at the right time that Rataiczak and DeCoy hooked up.

“I ran into him, we talked for a while and afterward, I thought, ‘wait a minute … I wonder,” Rataiczak said.

DeCoy accepted Rataiczak’s invitation to learn more, became the ‘OVAC intern’ and for the past year has been fully shadowing Rataiczak at seemingly every conference event, function or meeting along the way in preparation to take over.

“After working with Dirk the past year, I think he’s ready and he’s going to be a good replacement,” Rataiczak said. “He’s bringing a lot of good energy in. I really believe we found the right person. I feel very comfortable and lucky to have found him.”

In taking over, DeCoy will have one immediate advantage that Rataiczak didn’t when he assumed control. DeCoy will have his predecessor to lean on should he need it. Rataiczak took over after Sam Mumley, who served 32 years as executive secretary, died.

“I’ll definitely be around for Dirk if he has any issues or needs any help,” Rataiczak said. “There are some things that I’ve gotten to the point where I just can’t see myself not doing.”

One piece of advice that Rataiczak has shared with DeCoy is the same piece that the late Mark Matz shared when Rataiczak took over in 1999.

“Mark told me, ‘choose your battles wisely,'” Rataiczak recalled. “That has come back to re-echo in my head so many times in the last 20 years. You have to know when to hold them and know when to fold them. Obviously, there are going to be naysayers out there, but you have to be able to block that out and walk away.”

When Rataiczak wakes up Monday morning, he plans to go about his day just the same as he has.

“(Monday) will be no different,” Rataiczak said. “There will be a different guy driving the (OVAC) bus, but I’ll still be on it. I can just stretch my legs out a little bit more because I’ll be sitting in a different seat. I don’t have to do what I don’t want to do and I’ll have more freedom, but I have some (OVAC) projects and things I am going to spend more time on.”

Rataiczak admitted that the biggest difference waking up Monday will be knowing that he is “no longer the man” with the OVAC.

Though he’s no longer ‘the man,’ Rataiczak will remain a huge part and his legacy will be forever felt in the OVAC.