Eoin Comerford, CEO of Moosejaw, stepped away last Friday after 15 years with the company.

In a LinkedIn post, Comerford said he started at the company in 2008 as vice president of marketing.

“The brand-new website barely worked, our biggest brand had just gone direct, the national economy was in a tailspin, and we were planning Wednesday’s promo on Monday,” Comerford wrote. “There was a sense of fun, a palpable energy, and a willingness to try anything at least once. Not only was the weird and wacky tolerated — it was expected.”

Dick’s Sporting Goods acquired the outdoor retailer last February from Walmart and announced in September it would shutter 11 Moosejaw retail stores, with three continuing to operate. The Moosejaw e-commerce business remains intact.

The move is seen as part of Dick’s strategy to focus its outdoor brick-and-mortar business on its Public Lands stores.

Comerford declined to comment on the news beyond his social media post.

Sarah Cassella, a spokesperson for Dick’s, pointed The Daily to a previous statement.

“After careful review of our outdoor specialty business, we have decided to form one team that will support the operations of Public Lands and Moosejaw,” Casella said.

Dick’s formed that one team in Public Lands’ headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The combined group is led by Todd Spaletto, who joined Dick’s in December 2020 to launch Public Lands.

“This move supports our business optimization efforts and will allow us to operate more efficiently, quickly leverage best practices across our outdoor business and drive our long-term success,” Casella said in the previous statement. “We look forward to continuing to provide outdoor enthusiasts great gear and service on Moosejaw.com, PublicLands.com and at Moosejaw and Public Lands retail locations.”

In June, Comerford told The Daily the sale to Dick’s came about because Dick’s is great at brick-and-mortar retail and Moosejaw has e-commerce model dialed in. Moosejaw’s stores typically range from 4,000 to 5,000 square feet. By comparison, Dick’s Public Lands stores are huge – about 40,000 to 60,000 square feet.

“As I look back though, it’s the people that really made all of this worthwhile,” Comerford wrote on LinkedIn. “I’ve had the honor of working with so many folks who are passionate about the brand, work hard together, and don’t taking themselves too seriously … As we close the door for the last time on Madison Heights, the people of Moosejaw are our lasting legacy.”