Brian Bartolini believes the best way to assist student-athletes is to tailor the program to fit the individual needs of the athletes.

Bartolini will take that philosophy with him as he leaves SIUC’s academic coordinator’s program to become the director of Academic Services at Providence College.

In this business, effort counts for something, Bartolini said. There is no expectation for everyone to be on the dean’s list. We want students to maximize their potential academically. Not everyone can lead the conference in scoring or rebounding. It is the same in academics.

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Bartolini has made it a point to get to know student-athletes, and he is already missed by athletes such as senior basketball player Branda Anderson, even though he has been gone less than one week.

He has been amazing, Anderson said. He’s set up programs, and he has a great rapport with almost every student-athlete that has come through here.

He made an effort to go out of his way to establish relationships with all of the athletes. He wanted to be a part of the athletes’ everyday lives and help them become not just better athletes but better students and people.

Bartolini graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1989 and received his master’s degree from Springfield College in Springfield, Mass. He served as an intern at the University of Delaware from 1992 to 1994, when he was hired at SIUC.

The Athletic Department is in the process of a search to find a replacement, but in the meantime Kristina Therriault, an academic coordinator for SIUC athletes, will primarily be handling the day-to-day operation of the office.

Assistant Athletic Director Nancy Bandy said losing Bartolini will be difficult for the office because of his dedication to his job.

We do have Kristina, who’s been here a few years and is familiar with what we are doing, and two grad assistants, Bandy said. So they will be helping, but it is going to be a burden, and she will do the best she can under the circumstances. But when you lose somebody like Brian, who puts in the hours that he does, he is going to be extremely difficult to replace.

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The many hours he put in to make sure students received the best class schedule and support from the office left an impression on coaches, such as baseball coach Dan Callahan.

I think we in athletics as a whole, that’s a big loss, Callahan said. Here’s a guy who’s not afraid to work from 6 in the morning to 8 o’clock or 9 o’clock at night to get his work done, and it’s all for the benefit of the athletes.

Callahan said Bartolini understood the NCAA rules but also was able to help the athletes overcome other problems as well.

I’ve seen him in action, not just dealing with our kids but just dealing with the student-athletes in general, Callahan said. His demeanor is good, he’s young enough to relate with the kids well, and I think they know he cares about them.

The good relationship Bartolini had with the baseball team makes Bartolini’s absence a loss for the baseball program in particular.

As a baseball program, I think we’ve had a great rapport with him, Callahan said. He’s gone out of his way to help us, as has Kristina. It just seems like baseball has had a tendency to work a little more closely with Brian. It’s a big loss, but that happens.