Athletic Director Mario Moccia will stay at SIU despite being a finalist for another open athletic director position.

Moccia was named a finalist along with Charlie Cobb, the director of athletics at Appalachian State University who has been named athletic director for Georgia State University. Moccia said he think Cobb will do well at GSU.

Georgia State had been searching for a new athletic director since Cheryl L. Levick, GSU’s former athletic director was promoted to special assistant to university president Mark Becker in May.

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Tom Weber, director of Media Services for Saluki Athletics was unaware of the situation. Moccia said he was in Dallas speaking to one of the biggest prospective donor’s in SIU athletics history on Thursday.

Moccia has been the Athletic Director at SIU since 2006. In his time as director he has commissioned the construction of new football, basketball and baseball facilities as part of the $80 million Saluki Way project.  Moccia also helped secure Under Armour as the official apparel sponsor for Saluki Athletics.

Moccia said he was flattered by the interest but is happy in his position at SIU.

“The kids have never gotten better grades, We’ve built a lot of tremendous facilities, We’ve got solid premier sports,” he said. “In football we’ve got a coach that people really like and men’s basketball is an up-and-comer. People take note of that and I think people should be prideful of that.”

Tony McDaniel can be reached at [email protected], @tonymcdanielDE or at 536-3311 ext. 282