Staff firings

[buspen]

I heard through the grapevine that the entire compliance and marketing staff was fired last week by Orsini. Assuming that is true do you think this is a precursor to a total house cleaning top to bottom?

[ponyte]

One would think that the firing of the entire Marketing and Compliance staffs would have been more...public. Especially as the compliance staff is one of those key elements to have in any NCAA inquiry. And it would be hard to imagine the entire marketing staff would be let go early in the football seasona dn prior to basketball. One would think one compliance person and marketing person would be kept for transition purposes.

[PonyPride]

Not true. I met this morning with two members of the marketing staff. There have been changes made, but not like what you have described.

[WorldStang]

I heard Orsini made Bennett run Stadiums.. and Burns play NCAA 2007 Football on PS2 to figure out a new Offense.

[smuwins]

Three fired in athletic staff shake-up


By Austin Kilgore, Editor in Chief, [email protected]
September 07, 2006

Changes in the athletic department have resulted in the firing of three senior associate athletic directors in the past two weeks.

John Koerner, Ed Wisneski and Scott Secules, who combined, have more than 35 years experience at SMU, were all released by new Athletic Director Steve Orsini.

Senior Associate Athletic Director for Business John Koerner was released in August. He described his time at SMU as “the best years of my life, I have no complaints.”

In the time Koerner spent at SMU he worked under three different athletic directors: Doug Single, Forest Gregg, and Jim Copeland. Each time a new director came to SMU, Koerner said he offered his resignation, but was always told he still had a job. Koerner did not make the same offer to Orsini, but was not convinced he wouldn’t be asked to leave.

“Whenever there’s a change in administration, there’s a sense of anticipation that you may not make it,” Koerner said.

Koerner added Orsini had a personal conversation with him to give him the news.

Koerner said he understands Orsini needs to have people he’s comfortable with in senior administrator positions, and bringing in new people can help change the culture of the department.

Koerner had a 26-year long tenure at SMU, beginning with an eight-year stint as the budget director for SMU, before moving to the athletic department in 1989. He served as interim athletic director while former athletic director Jim Copeland was recovering from cancer surgery last spring.

Koerner said he and his wife are going to stay in Dallas, and he will not be pursuing another job in athletics. He said he has been an accountant for 26 years and is ready for a new career. He said he is interested in working in pharmaceutical sales or public administration.

Secules, a former NFL quarterback, worked on the external operations of the athletic department. He oversaw all athletic fundraising, marketing and promotions, ticket sales, sponsorship and media relations.

Secules said he understands why he was let go.

“That’s part of transition,” Secules said, “It’s part of our business.”

Secules said he was called into Orsini’s office Friday morning and given the news before the football team left for Lubbock.

He added many people have been asked to leave. Some were let go right away, and others, once Orsini knew where he wanted to take the athletic department.

Wisneski, on the other hand, did not see his release coming.

“I was given a lot of responsibilities and duties, which were new [right before the firing], so no, I didn’t see this coming.”

Since 1995, Wisneski has helped more than 1,000 student athletes find work with his Preparing Achievers for Lifetime Success program. The voluntary program emphasized life skills and helped athletes adjust once their time on the field was over. Wisneski mainly helped athletes create resumes and maximize their marketability. In some cases, he was able to help place athletes into jobs.

“I never erased a resume,” Wisneski said. “I’m probably the only college administrator with over 1,000 resumes on his computer.”

“This was a passion for me, not a job,” Wisneski said.

While his tenure at SMU is over, Wisneski said he appreciates his time at the university.

“I’ve been reflecting on the enormity of the fact that for the past 18 years, I’ve had the opportunity to have an impact on other people’s lives.”

Wisneski came to SMU in 1988, and in 1989, was the head media relations official during SMU’s first football season back from the death penalty.

Wisneski is pleased with the success of the PALS program, and said it provides a good support system for SMU’s athletes.

“I thought the program was good for the university,” said Wisneski. “It really showed the soul of the school and made SMU stand out.”

Wisneski added he is proud many “first generation” PALS participants from when the program first started have come back to SMU “calling for current athletes” to give back and help them find jobs.

2006 marks the 10th anniversary of the PALS program, and he hopes it will continue.

“I would hope my leaving will not mark the end of the program,” Wisneski said.

Wisneski said he was called into Orsini’s office Friday and was told Orsini is looking for someone “with a different set of skills,” and he would no longer be needed.

In addition to the PALS program, Wisneski was responsible for managing compliance with the NCAA’s rules and regulations. Wisneski said the 500-page regulation book is “more complicated than the IRS,” and he was responsible for interpreting the rules and keeping coaches and athletes informed of changes and recording any violations that occurred in SMU’s athletic department.

While he handled compliance issues last school year, Wisneski said he had “no involvement at all” in the investigation regarding former basketball head coach Jimmy Tubbs and added that incident was handled by former athletic director Jim Copeland and vice president for legal affairs and governmental relations S. Leon Bennett.

Orsini, who came to SMU from the University of Central Florida, just completed his first 90 days as athletic director. In a prepared statement he said:

“When I joined SMU as Director of Athletics in early June, I said that I would review our staffing structure to advance our goals — graduating our student-athletes, winning, increasing attendance, enhancing revenue, and running a program with integrity that provides a great experience for both student athletes and fans. I have determined that we need to restructure. We need to focus more heavily on five key areas: marketing, business operations, compliance, student-athlete development and fund raising. To accomplish this reorganization, I will appoint new associate directors of athletics leading our key functions and reporting directly to me. The aim is to ensure that concentrated, full-time attention is being devoted to our priorities. I look forward to recruiting from among a diverse pool of top candidates in the nation for these positions. At the same time, as we say goodbye to staff members who have served SMU in positions that are being restructured, we wish them the best in pursuing other opportunities.”

[Bergermeister]

transition from what? it's not rocket science. "entire" marketing staff? one part-timer (maybe)? I'm thinking Orsini wants it set up right... keeping anybody around from the old regime would be a detriment.

[Big10Ponyfan]

I heard on PS2 for SMU that there are NO, NADA, ZIP vertical passes. All flip sceens. Neato!!

[PonyPride]

Any new boss evaluates the system in place, what changes are needed, and how the current personnel fits that system. If needed, changes are made. He has made some changes and might make others. All I'm saying is that the changes made last week were not as wide-reaching as the original post sounded.

[WorldStang]

Turner has to be nervous.. Orsini is likely to fire him next. Last I hear, Peruna was on the corner of Airline and Mockingbird with a sign.. "Will work for Oats."

[smuwins]

transition from what? it's not rocket science. "entire" marketing staff? one part-timer (maybe)? I'm thinking Orsini wants it set up right... keeping anybody around from the old regime would be a detriment.

"Changes in the athletic department have resulted in the firing of three senior associate athletic directors in the past two weeks."

I would not classify 3 senior associate athletic directors as part timers.

Wiseski was no part timer, he was at SMU for almost 20 years and had regular meetings with players. I know Secules was a very big part of the football marketing program and was at practice almost every day helping with media relations. These are major changes.

[BRStang]

I know Secules was a very big part of the football marketing program and was at practice almost every day helping with media relations. These are major changes.

What football marketing program? What media relations?

[smuwins]

I know Secules was a very big part of the football marketing program and was at practice almost every day helping with media relations. These are major changes.

What football marketing program? What media relations?

You know the media that puts the group of words together in paper everyday that sometimes involves the letters SMU. The group of words that is then posted on this site and then debated about for weeks at a time. There is also that marketing department that tells you when you can show up to see college students from SMU participate in football. They even sometimes put up these really big group of words on the scoreboard that tell you what phone number to call to get tickets to go see the SMU students participate in football and sometimes even make t shirts!

[SMU Football Blog]

I think smuwins is a nark. A plant from the athletic department.

[BRStang]

Oh, you mean THAT slack-a$$ football marketing program. No wonder he was fired.

[jtstang]

We have great media relations. We have yet to cumulatively score in double figures in two football games, where you score points in blocks of 2, 3 or 6 at a time, and yet the Dallas Morning News covers us every day. Some really astute poster has started a thread documenting this coverage, and deserves some accolades for doing so.