When former SIU Athletic Director Mario Moccia left to take the same position at his alma mater New Mexico State, he had to make a few sacrifices, such as the size of his living space. But perhaps the most significant sacrifice he made was leaving his family for a few months.

Moccia is living by himself in a three-bedroom apartment in Student Family Housing at New Mexico State in Las Cruces, N.M., 1,239 miles from his wife Heidi and their two daughters, Addie and Gemma, ages 7 and 2 respectively. Heidi and the girls stayed behind in Illinois so Addie could finish the school year before moving to New Mexico.

Moccia said his current living arrangement is advantageous for getting settled into his new job.

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“It’s a whole two minutes away from the office,” Moccia said. “It sure is allowing me to get a ton of work done, so it’s a really good living situation for what I need to be doing right now.”

Moccia said his neighbors have not bothered him so far.

“I haven’t met any of them,” Moccia said. “I assume I have some, but I haven’t seen them yet.”

Although Moccia has been busy in his first few weeks, he has been able to take advantage of technology to keep in touch with his family.

“Through the miracle of FaceTime, I can see my wife and my daughters every night and catch up with them,” Moccia said. “So that makes the gap even more manageable.”

While Moccia is starting his regime at New Mexico, Heidi has been taking care of the girls and making sure their house in Murphysboro is ready to sell, ushering carpenters and painters in and out for two weeks.

“For the first couple weeks, it was pretty chaotic,” Heidi said. “Since then, we’ve been trying to settle into a new normal.”

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Heidi said one of the biggest changes for her and the girls was getting Addie on the school bus in the morning, which Moccia used to do before he moved. Heidi now has to get Gemma dressed for the winter weather and take Addie to the bus stop.

Heidi said Moccia’s absence has taken away someone to give her a break when taking care of their daughters and someone with whom the girls can cuddle, watch TV or throw a ball.

She values the family’s FaceTime sessions.

“It’s really nice that they get to see him, and he gets to see them,” Heidi said. “Because when they’re young, they change so much. Gemma walks around pointing and saying ‘Dada,’ and her usual 2-year-old babble. I don’t know what she’s saying, but I’m sure she’s asking ‘Where is he?’”

New Mexico State’s men’s basketball team will play at Chicago State and University of Missouri at Kansas City on Feb. 5 and 7. Moccia will make the trip with the team, and Heidi, Addie and Gemma will take a train to Chicago to see him while he is back in the Midwest. Addie said the first thing she will do when she sees her father is hug him.

Thomas Donley can be reached at [email protected] or at 536-3311 ext. 269.