Members of the Indiana State University athletics community said they’ll miss Doug Elgin, who announced Wednesday in St. Louis that he’ll be stepping down as Missouri Valley Conference commissioner after 33 years on the job.

Elgin’s resignation will take effect following the 2020-21 academic year.

“It’s very surreal to think that ‘The Boss’ will be stepping down,” ISU men’s basketball coach Greg Lansing told the Tribune-Star. “He has been here the entire time I’ve been at Indiana State.”

Lansing first served as an ISU assistant coach from 1995 to 1999 and again from 2006 to 2010. Since then, he’s been the Sycamores’ head coach for 10 seasons (going on 11). Lansing is the second-winningest men’s basketball coach in school history, trailing all-time leader Duane Klueh by 16 (182-166).

“You feel a sense of loss but also one of admiration and respect for all that [Elgin] has done,” Lansing continued. “Doug has always been outstanding at ‘the job’ but just as important with relationships in the league. I consider him a friend and always will. We here with Sycamore Basketball can’t thank him enough for all he has done for us and the Missouri Valley Conference. We wish him well in what is next for him.”

“You can’t look at the growth of the Missouri Valley Conference over the years without knowing that Doug has been a part of it,” ISU director of athletics Sherard Clinkscales emphasized. “He’s been a fixture in the league for such a long time. His commitment to member institutions over the course of 33 years has been unwavering. I just want to thank him for his dedication to the conference and Indiana State.”

Named the Missouri Valley’s ninth commissioner on May 17, 1988, Elgin is the longest-serving commissioner in the league’s 114-year history and is also the longest-tenured commissioner currently employed at any of the NCAA’s multi-sport Division I conferences.

“I’m announcing my retirement at this time in order to provide our MVC Presidents Council with the appropriate time to guide the search for the next commissioner,” Elgin said in a news release.

A national search will be conducted, with Atlanta-based Parker Executive Search handling the recruitment of candidates and the coordination of the hiring process.

“I’ve been blessed to have had the opportunity to work in a conference that has valued the academic and competitive success of its student-athletes,” Elgin added. “We’ve had very committed campus leadership and great coaches during my time here. And the continuity and extraordinary dedication of our staff has played a major role in keeping the MVC in a position of prominence.”

Elgin has been a member of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Committee (1999-2002) and National Invitation Tournament Committee (2016-2019). His previous service included terms on the NCAA Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee, NCAA Administration Cabinet and NABC’s Ad Hoc Committee on NCAA Selection, Seeding and Bracketing.

In 45 years in college athletics administration, Elgin has worked at four institutions and in two conference offices. His career path has included stints as sports information director at Frostburg State University (1975-76), Miami-Dade Community College South (1976-77), Lafayette College (1977-80) and the University of Virginia (1980-83). Elgin also served as assistant commissioner at the Tampa-based Sun Belt Conference from 1983 to 1988.

A native of Hagerstown, Maryland, Elgin is a 1973 graduate of Lafayette College. He earned a master’s degree in sports administration from Ohio University in 1975.