SMUt: "the team for every sports fan in Dallas who

[NT80]

SMU's new AD arrives with win-now attitude

Orsini expects struggling programs to rebound quickly

11:53 PM CST on Friday, March 24, 2006

By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News

UNIVERSITY PARK – The new athletic director at SMU is raising the stakes.

Steve Orsini, who was introduced as SMU's 12th athletic director Friday afternoon, expects his programs to start winning now.

"He has a sense of urgency with things," SMU president Gerald Turner said.

Orsini, who signed a five-year contract, will replace the retiring Jim Copeland on June 1. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Orsini, 49, leaves Central Florida, where he was athletic director since 2002. At UCF, he increased the athletic budget by 70 percent, helping turn a struggling program with a small fan base into a vibrant one.

And Orsini has plans to fix an SMU athletic department rife with mediocre teams, financial deficit, a dwindling fan base and aging facilities.

"I learned from the best," said Orsini, who worked for the Cowboys from 1984 to 1993. "I feel lucky to have worked with Tex Schramm and with Jerry Jones. It was the best of both worlds in winning and losing in both regimes."

Steve Orsini comes to SMU after spending four years at Central Florida. Orsini is known as a great communicator. His enthusiasm – coupled with a background in accounting – helps him as a fund-raiser.

After three face-to-face meetings and several phone conversations, Turner realized Orsini was his man. On Wednesday, Turner called UCF president John Hitt to receive permission to officially interview Orsini.

"I admire the speed with which it happened," Hitt said. "He's a heck of a guy, and SMU is getting a great AD."

Hitt made a last attempt to keep Orsini but was rebuffed.

"I think SMU was attractive for him," Hitt said. "He knows something about Dallas having lived there 10 years, and financially we couldn't match what SMU was paying."

Orsini, whose salary was reportedly about $175,000 when he was hired at UCF, had been in negotiations to receive a raise and a contract extension. Copeland, who took over at SMU in 1995, has a base salary of $368,050.

One of Orsini's biggest challenges in his new job will be marketing SMU to Dallas. His background as a ticket manger with the Cowboys helps him know the city.

"You have to create a marketing niche," Orsini said. "We want to be the team for every sports fan in Dallas who loves college athletics."

Marketing SMU's two major sports – football and men's basketball – will be challenging.

Football hasn't had a winning season since 1997, and men's basketball hasn't reached the NCAA Tournament in 13 years.

Last year, men's soccer reached the College Cup, and the golf, swimming and tennis programs are successful.

Orsini said he expects all his teams to be ranked in the top 25 in the country.

"I'm very excited about that," said men's basketball coach Jimmy Tubbs. "That speaks volumes in my mind about the passion he has for the job."

Turner believes Orsini is the right choice because of his marketing background, and the fact he's had new facilities built at UCF and helped raise money for others when he was at Georgia Tech from 1999 to 2002.

Turner said SMU's immediate goals are to increase football season ticket sales to 10,000, boost Mustangs Club – the athletic department's fund-raising arm – donations to $2 million a year and build a basketball practice facility.

[NT91]

Now is the time for NT to show the DFW area that NT has passed SMU by. We must win this game at Fouts in September!!

Edited March 25, 2006 by NT91

[pollock]

Our game against them this year is for all the marbles, in so many ways.

[UNT_playmaker]

actually this game is for all the marbles

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

We really need to win this fall in Denton because it may be our last chance for awhile. Right now, we are only competitive with SMU in football, soccer and basketball. It may be only soccer in the near future.

Orsini, with the hiring of George O'Leary, turned the UCF football program around in two years. He achieved all of his goals except for Big East Conference membership in four years at UCF. Poor Central Florida had to 'settle' for admission to CUSA. One of those goals was an on-campus stadium. At SMU, the only sport in great need of new facilities is basketball.

While his wanting to be the "team for every sports fan in Dallas for those who love college athletics" is ridiculous, he must nevertheless be watched closely. At UCF, he set a record home attendance of over 51,000 for the CUSA championship game.

[FirefightnRick]

The only thing I'm giving Orsini credit for at UCF is hiring O'leary. UCF had a very good fan base before he became A.D. They have always featured a wide open, entertaining game for the fans since their beginning in the early 80's. In only their second year in 1-A in '96 they drew over 41,000 for their season opener against Idaho. In their 3rd year in 1-A they went 9-2. In 2000 they got a win at Alabama. Later that season they would host over 50,000 at home against visiting Virginia Tech. Their previous coach before O'leary, Mike Kruczek, went 26-18 with 3 winning seasons out of 4, including that 9-2 season in '98. As soon as things went sour in '03 with a 3-7 season Orsini canned him and luckily caught O'leary in between jobs, hiring him for the '04 season. That year they went 0-11 before O'leary turned it around in '05. If you go by this article and compare the two programs he's now A.D.ed for, you'd assume Orsini is about to get a quick and raw education on what a true struggling fan base looks like.

With that said, the game against the pony's in Denton this season is the most critical game of the season.

Rick

Edited March 26, 2006 by FirefightnRick

[NT80]

As soon as things went sour in '03 with a 3-7 season Orsini canned him and luckily caught O'leary in between jobs, hiring him for the '04 season.

←

So it does happen some places?

Edited March 26, 2006 by NT80

[BIG DAWG]

he increased the athletic budget by 70 percent, helping turn a struggling program with a small fan base into a vibrant one.

What a great idea!

[FirefightnRick]

What a great idea!

←

If your new, well known name coach goes 7-1 in conference, 8-4 overall during the regular season, earning a game on national TV in Hawaii after your program went 3-8 and 0-11 the previous two years then I don't see how you could possibly NOT increase things in your program.

Rick

Edited March 26, 2006 by FirefightnRick

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

The only thing I'm giving Orsini credit for at UCF is hiring O'leary.  UCF had a very good fan base before he became A.D.  They have always featured a wide open, entertaining game for the fans since their beginning in the early 80's.  In only their second year in 1-A in '96 they drew over 41,000 for their season opener against Idaho.  In their 3rd year in 1-A they went 9-2.  In 2000 they got a win at Alabama.  Later that season they would host over 50,000 at home against visiting Virginia Tech.  Their previous coach before O'leary, Mike Kruczek, went 26-18 with 3 winning seasons out of 4, including that 9-2 season in '98.  As soon as things went sour in '03 with a 3-7 season Orsini canned him and luckily caught O'leary in between jobs, hiring him for the '04 season.  That year they went 0-11 before O'leary turned it around in '05.  If you go by this article and compare the two programs he's now A.D.ed for, you'd assume Orsini is about to get a quick and raw education on what a true struggling fan base looks like.

With that said, the game against the pony's in Denton this season is the most critical game of the season.

Rick

←

Rick, I don't know the depth of Orsini's involvement but in addition to hiring O'Leary he was involved in successfully getting his program into CUSA, raising the average home attendance by about 10,000, and completing? plans and funding for an on-campus stadium.

The point about the hiring of O'Leary is that he's not afraid to pull the plug if the program is not getting the desired results. I'd say that if Phil Bennett doesn't have a winning season this year that he is gone.

Orsini will have more resources at SMU than he had at UCF and that could be scary. Remember, the Ponies used to draw in the 40s for many years and, while the death penalty will keep many away he just might capture the younger Dallas crowd that can't afford the Cowboys.

The fact that they abandoned their search after talking to Orsini tells me that they found the man they wanted.

[TIgreen01]

Our game against them this year is for all the marbles, in so many ways.

←

Don't we play SMU next year at Ford? I'd say we need to win that one for sure....look what happened to us with the BU series. We wipe the floor with them in 03, then get drubbed in 04. BU got their revenge and we fell off in many people's minds. I want wins both years, but NEXT year is the critical year.

[FirefightnRick]

Rick, I don't know the depth of Orsini's involvement but in addition to hiring O'Leary he was involved in successfully getting his program into CUSA, raising the average home attendance by about 10,000, and completing? plans and funding for an on-campus stadium. 

The point about the hiring of O'Leary is that he's not afraid to pull the plug if the program is not getting the desired results.  I'd say that if Phil Bennett doesn't have a winning season this year that he is gone. 

Orsini will have more resources at SMU than he had at UCF and that could be scary.  Remember, the Ponies used to draw in the 40s for many years and, while the death penalty will keep many away he just might capture the younger Dallas crowd that can't afford the Cowboys.

The fact that they abandoned their search after talking to Orsini tells me that they found the man they wanted.

←

UCF was already in talks with C-USA prior to the 2002 year and as long as they have been trying to get out of the Citrus Bowl I can't imagine fundraising for an on campus stadium was all of a sudden, a new concept when he took the job but I could be wrong? Regardless he got some great advice when he hired O'leary for sure. If SMU does another 0-12 season anytime soon he will get his opportunity for that "Pull the Plug" thing for sure.

Rick

[GreenFlag]

I really, really dislike (ok, hate) SMU. I just had to share that. This game means the most to me, more than any conference championship, more than any N.O. Bowl. We MUST win that game.

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

I really, really dislike (ok, hate) SMU. I just had to share that. This game means the most to me, more than any conference championship, more than any N.O. Bowl. We MUST win that game.

←

I like SMU. I am a Methodist and have a lot of friends who went there. My daughter is on the staff there (pharmacist). I have several in-laws who are SMU graduates and they are superfine people.

Having said that, I share your passion for beating the Mustangs this fall. If we only win one game this fall let it be this one. I'll take all of the wins that we can get but please pull out all of the stops to win this one. It's not just bragging rights, it will mean a tremendous amount to the future of North Texas football.

SMU is a MUST win game!

[Guest GrayEagleOne]

I really, really dislike (ok, hate) SMU. I just had to share that. This game means the most to me, more than any conference championship, more than any N.O. Bowl. We MUST win that game.

←

I like SMU. I am a Methodist and have a lot of friends who went there. My daughter is on the staff there (pharmacist). I have several in-laws who are SMU graduates and they are superfine people.

Having said that, I share your passion for beating the Mustangs this fall. If we only win one game this fall let it be this one. I'll take all of the wins that we can get but please pull out all of the stops to win this one. It's not just bragging rights, it will mean a tremendous amount to the future of North Texas football.

SMU is a MUST win game!