Article on Orsini/Smu athletics

[carolsmu]

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent ... 65b07.html
New AD aims high at SMU

Orsini's vision includes more wins, more fans and more dollars


03:51 AM CDT on Tuesday, September 5, 2006

By CALVIN WATKINS / The Dallas Morning News

UNIVERSITY PARK – After less than three months on the job, new SMU athletic director Steve Orsini already has made numerous changes with more to come.

There are plans for an $800,000 video scoreboard for aging Moody Coliseum, a new 50-meter indoor swimming pool and a basketball practice facility. But above all, Orsini's priority is to make the financially struggling athletic department self-sufficient.

"It's a standard, a mind-set, a culture," Orsini said. "We want to have [it so] that everything we strive for, we do at the best level. We are a national university."

Orsini said his vision is to have a winning program in all sports, especially men's and women's basketball and football. President Gerald Turner and the board of trustees have given him a mandate to improve the athletic department.

Here are the key areas Orsini has targeted at the beginning of a new school year:


Raising expectations

At Orsini's introductory news conference, he challenged coaches to elevate the standards of their teams to be among the top 25 in the nation.

He told football coach Phil Bennett he expects a winning season. Bennett said fans should expect a bowl appearance in 2006.

Just last week, Orsini made key changes in his department because fundraising and marketing efforts didn't meet his standards. He fired senior associate athletic directors Ed Wisneski and Scott Secules, who oversaw those departments for almost 11 years.

The athletic department has operated with a deficit over the last decade, with the total reaching $3.5 million last year.

Orsini said that deficit must be erased.

"You may have the best-laid plan," Orsini said, "but if you don't have the right people in place to execute the plan, you're not going to complete the path."


Upgrading facilities

Poor facilities have put SMU behind its competitors in recruiting.

TCU and Baylor have built or are building basketball practice facilities. When Orsini hired men's basketball coach Matt Doherty this spring, he made a commitment to build one for the SMU campus. The school plans to break ground on the $12 million project this winter. Upgrades to Moody Coliseum could push the cost even higher.

Orsini also has plans to build a soccer stadium on the east side of campus. In addition, SMU has nearly completed a $3 million capital project at Dallas Athletic Club that will add a clubhouse, a short-game practice complex and indoor driving bays to be shared by the school's golf teams. A new tennis facility is also on Orsini's list.


Raising more money

Fundraising efforts have increased thanks to a special event for boosters this summer at the home of billionaire Gerald Ford, who donated $20 million for the football stadium that bears his name. David Miller raised his financial commitment to basketball with a $1.5 million donation.

Turner believes the Mustang Club, the fundraising arm of the athletic department, should raise $2 million a year. That goal wasn't met under Chris Walker, who resigned over the summer.

"We've got to generate more resources, more ticket sales, more fundraising," said Orsini, noting that SMU's alumni base in Dallas has been supportive.


Attendance

SMU sold 4,621 football season tickets in 2005, and sales are only slightly better this season. The school should sell at least 10,000 season tickets a year, Turner said.

SMU doesn't have much of a home-field advantage at any of its facilities. Average attendance was 1,249 for women's basketball and 3,068 for men's basketball last season. Average football attendance last season was 18,630, which ranked 92nd nationally.

Increased attendance helps recruiting. Orsini said he's talked to student groups about supporting their teams.

"You bring recruits here and they see certain places and if it's a half-empty stadium, it's not a very strong message," he said. "A full stadium with crazy students and alumni and the band and cheerleaders, you can get that going."

[ponyboy]

Lots of great stuff in there. Orsini's rolling.

[smu diamond m]

This guy has got this down. I hope it all comes to fruition.

[Water Pony]

[quote="carolsmu"]

New AD aims high at SMU. Orsini's vision includes more wins, more fans and more dollars


"a new 50-meter indoor swimming pool"

quote]

Yeah, baby,

Austin Powers

[ponyboy]

WP, is a 50m pool the standard, olympic sized pool? Is this what you've been asking for?

[Water Pony]

WP, is a 50m pool the standard, olympic sized pool? Is this what you've been asking for?

Ponyboy,

50 meters (approx. 55 yards) long is the standard Olympic size pool, which is also called Long Course. Combined with a width of 25 yards, which is the collegiate and high school competitive 'short' course, you would have the flexibility of training and competing at both distances.

When recruiting and training you need both. Our outdoor 'long' course' A. R. Barr (former Swim Coach when I swam and a real gentleman, btw) pool is a great addition while giving us great flexibility. But it can't be used for collegiate meets and winter training.

A key question is whether you have a diving area or separate well, which is what we have outdoors. If we were to build in a new area, say near Moody, we would build a long course pool and a separate diving well. However, it appears the preferred site will be the current location of Perkins Natatorium.

To fit into that footprint and not negatively impact visually the ajoining dorms or surrounding campus architecture, the proposed plan suggests a 50 meter length with the diving area in the same pool, which would reduce the number of times you could train and compete length (50M) wise indoors.

In a perfect world, this would be a concession, but acceptable to get a new aquatic center in that location, while integrating the facility with outdoor pool.

I am sure this is TMI for most, but the possibility of getting the funding ($16M) and commitment has me excited for the future of one of our signature non-revenue sports.

Thanks for the interest.

[ponyboy]

Good stuff. I've always felt that swimming and diving was underappreciated. I became somewhat of a fan when I was a kid and Steve Lundquist was plastered all over every tv screen. Why the heck isn't a swimming or a track more popular? Makes no sense to me.

Anyways, sorry to our basketball posters for the digression.

[DickerJames]

Upgrading facilities

Orsini also has plans to build a soccer stadium on the east side of campus."

I thought they just completed a new field at Westcott.

[tmustangp]

yes, where would this new soccer pitch go? East side of the campus, i thought that was where the new presidential library would be...

[Pony_Fan]

Upgrading facilities

Orsini also has plans to build a soccer stadium on the east side of campus."

I thought they just completed a new field at Westcott.

Yes, the field is in place, they mean the actual stands and surroundings.

[smupony94]

I like the so called Olympic sports and hope we can devote more to them soon

[PonyPride]

Yes, the field is in place, they mean the actual stands and surroundings.

Actually, while there is talk of bricking in the stands, etc., I have heard rumblings of an entirely new facility being planned for the future.

[mavsrage311]

WOW just reading that a new $800,000 video board is being added to Moody gets me STOKED. I am so tired of seeing our lousy excuse for one that makes Mario look lifelike on the old Nintendo.

[BringBackThePonies03]

I like what Orsini said, he seems very confident in his own ablities. He is right a team needs to win and have big-time players to put people in the stands. I hope we get this football thing worked out, I am sure excited for our basketball season, I think we are going to have a good year with Doherty at the helm.

GO PONIES!!!

[PhirePhilBennett]

yes, where would this new soccer pitch go? East side of the campus, i thought that was where the new presidential library would be...

East of Central - in a few years. Turn the Westcott into track and field only.

This soccer construction was already planned pre-Orsini.