Steve Tobias, who has managed the Ventura College athletic department as dean for the past 13 years, announced his retirement Thursday after school president Robin Calote reassigned him away from physical education and athletics.

Tobias, 61, has worked in the department as an instructor, coach and manager for the past 37 years. He was scheduled to retire in June 2009.

"It was the only place I've ever worked," said Tobias.

Tobias wrote a letter to the Star to explain his retirement, describing the experience as being "shoved overboard" from the Pirate's ship.

"Based upon President Calote's decision… I have decided to retire after 37 years at Ventura College," wrote Tobias. "It has become increasingly clear over the past few months that President Calote has lost confidence in my ability to lead the athletic department and it is certainly within her prerogative as president to reshape her management team in anyway she desires."

Calote said the school would immediately begin the search for his successor.

"He's been effective in enlisting community support for our athletic programs and in helping the institution build excellent athletic facilitates," said Calote.

Coupled with the resignation of co-athletic directors Greg Winslow and Nancy Fredrickson over the past four months, Tobias' reassignment completes the turnover of the department's brain trust seven months after the Ventura County Community College District and district attorney's office opened the on-going investigation of the department.

"When I look back on the many issues that have impacted the athletic department over the past few years, the inability to provide a full-time, independent athletic director after the retirement of Dick James in 2003 significantly contributed to an instability that I could not correct," said Tobias.

Fredrickson and Winslow were sharing the AD duties on a temporary basis, originally on a one-year basis, from James' retirement through this spring.

"It is with sadness that I leave the college at this particular time since there is still much to do in so many areas of our athletic and instructional endeavors," wrote Tobias.

"The closing of my life as a Pirate is difficult… I always imagined that I would be able to steer the ship to shore successfully one final time and to leave Ventura College on my own terms.

"To be shoved overboard caught me by surprise, but rest assured, I can swim."

A 2005 inductee into the Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame, Tobias played football and baseball for Ventura College from 1965 to 1967.

After four years at Sacramento State, he returned to the school as a 23-year-old assistant baseball coach in 1971 and never left, winning Western State Conference titles as a head women's track coach and baseball and football assistants.

On the baseball diamond, Tobias coached Gary Anglin and Don Adams, who, at 31 and 29 years, respectively, succeed him as the senior members of the department.

"To me, he has been one of the biggest assets to Ventura College in my years as both a student athlete and an employee," said Anglin, the assistant head coach of the football team. "I certainly hope the school, the athletic department and the community remember the great things he did for Ventura College."