Athletic director Tony Barbone will be leaving EC and taking over as the athletic director at Pasadena City College starting Jan. 6.

Barbone said his decision to leave EC was a difficult one and was one that was family-based.

“It’s hard to leave a group of people that you feel synergized with,” Barbone said. “We don’t get along every single day. We have the same normal relationship complications that anybody else might have. Whether it’s a family or it’s a spouse. But we have a tremendous amount of respect for one another.”

Barbone feels this wasn’t an easy decision to make, but one he had to for his family and the geography of where he is.

“(At EC), I’m surrounded by a plethora of professionals and we’re all focused on one thing which is student success,” Barbone said.

Barbone added he’s been humbled by the gracious comments, notes, and emails he’s received and he wouldn’t have been a candidate for his new position without the help and support he’s received from his colleagues at EC.

“All the things that have happened here, I think progressively since I’ve been here (at EC), are a collection of coaches, athletes and administration just buying into what we’re trying to do and I think we’ve been able to put a good product out there, a respectful product,” Barbone said.