Chris Presson has resigned...

Sources: Thunder's Presson resigns
President of company that runs hockey team and Wingnuts baseball will pursue other opportunities, source says.

BY KOLLEN LONG AND JEFFREY LUTZ
The Wichita Eagle

Chris Presson has resigned as president of Wichita Pro Sports, the company that runs the Thunder hockey team and Wingnuts baseball team, two sources said Tuesday.

Presson's job, one source said, will not be filled. Instead, Thunder assistant general manager Joel Lomurno will oversee hockey operations and Wingnuts GM Josh Robertson will oversee baseball.

Presson, Lomurno and Robertson declined comment on the shift. One source, however, said Presson is leaving to pursue other opportunities.

Presson took over as GM of the Thunder in April 2005 and is generally credited with improving the professionalism, work ethic and financial fortunes of the team.

In June 2006, he was named executive of the year by the Central Hockey League, an award he also won in 1999 while with the Topeka Tarantulas ScareCrows. Presson assumed the title of president of Wichita Pro Sports when the Wingnuts independent baseball team was formed last fall.

The Thunder's on-ice performance has declined during Presson's tenure. The team went 38-18-8 in 2005-06, but records have dipped to 28-28-8 and 20-42-2 the past two seasons.

Lomurno started as an intern with the Thunder in 1993-94, the team's second year of existence, and has steadily moved up within the organization.

He has worked as public relations director, radio broadcaster and assistant general manager. The past two years, he has been senior vice president of Wichita Pro Sports.

His priority will likely be filling the Thunder's coaching vacancy. Presson fired Mark French after the team's 4-13 start and named Rob Weingartner interim coach.

Presson had said he would have a coach in place by the second week of June.

Robertson was a member of the Wichita Wranglers' front-office staff before the team moved to Springdale, Ark., after the 2007 season. Robertson was hired by Wichita Pro Sports to run the Wingnuts, a member of the unaffiliated American Association.