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SMU STATEMENT REGARDING CHANGE IN ATHLETICS LEADERSHIP

DALLAS (SMU) — Today, SMU President R. Gerald Turner announced that Director of Athletics Steve Orsini has been dismissed effective immediately. Senior Associate Director of Athletics for External Affairs Tim Leonard has been named interim director of athletics.

“We thank Steve for his contributions to SMU athletics,” Turner said. “After several discussions over the last few weeks, it became apparent to me that it was necessary to make this change. While we both are committed to the support of our student-athletes and coaches, a unified effort is required for future progress in our athletics programs.”

Turner said a national search will begin immediately to seek a new director of athletics.

Now here's a bizarre turn of events...

I was never an Orsini enthusiast. I put the blame for losing Hyndman squarely in his lap. Gutting the marketing department was a fiasco. And he got the credit for June, when JJ was basically gift wrapped for him.

I thought he made us look a bit ridiculous the the BB head coaching search, but the results were so positive, that I was starting to come around and give the man some credit.

Will be interesting to see where we go from here. My guess is upwards and onwards.

Funny about people's perception. Copeland actually did a lot of good and got zero credit. You could make the case that Orsini was almost just the opposite.

Now that the university has money, coaches, and a decent conference to go along with Ford Stadium (which Copeland built BTW), I'd take a Jim Copeland any day.

PerunaPunch wrote:Funny about people's perception. Copeland actually did a lot of good and got zero credit. You could make the case that Orsini was almost just the opposite.

Copeland had his hands tied. But he never tried to untie them.. He was a go-along-to-get-along type guy.

i sure as hell hope this is not the RGT that we all know. maybe the Turner signing and LB's new recruits had to be fought for by Steve O, and RGT hates athletics.

ponyinNC wrote:RGT hates athletics.

Categorically untrue. Not only does he enjoy athletics, Turner clearly perceives the prestige that a top calibre athletics program brings to the university.

Laken and Orsini leaving the same day? Coincidence??

Don't know him but generally has to do with powerful coaches sometimes. The AD must coexist with June and Brown so if he can't it is probably gonna be the AD that goes but to say terminated instead of resigned.......Who knows. Letting a coach come in and have the discussion with student athletes that they won't ever play for him in an effort to run them off so there are more scholarships available and the AD does nothing! Evidently Brown was given prior approval to do this by someone so.....if that is the case then good! Maybe Brown told the AD "you will never be an AD for me!" What goes around comes around as they say.

Don't know the full story of course...but my first reaction is that this is a HUGE MISTAKE!

smuuth wrote: Letting a coach come in and have the discussion with student athletes that they won't ever play for him in an effort to run them off so there are more scholarships available and the AD does nothing!

Coaches release players in major programs (and even not-so major ones) all the time; some may not like the way he did it, but to think the mere fact that LB told these kids "hey, you're not going to cut it at the level we will be playing" is some kind of misdeed is silly. If that turns out to be the reason SO is gone then SMU athletics is far more dysfunctional than I ever imagined. Orsini took two dead programs and restored them to respectability and placed them in the national conversation virtually overnight. Other than letting him go in order to pursue another job (maybe BE commisioner?) or some MAJOR indiscretion, I just don't get this at all.

Mr Horsepower wrote:Don't know the full story of course...but my first reaction is that this is a HUGE MISTAKE!

On the other hand, with 3 straight bowls, going to a respectable conference, the return of men's track, a palace in Moody Coliseum, and great coaches, it's much more likely that we can attract a top-flight AD now than we could when we got Orsini.

And it's probably good timing too, considering the continued rumblings in the BE, new media contracts to negotiate, etc. Right now, at the crossroads of re-becoming something great, maybe it's time to get a new man at the top. Maybe somebody who understands how to manage people and market this time around.

PerunaPunch wrote: maybe it's time to get a new man at the top.

Maybe? I don't think we have a choice. Onward.

PerunaPunch wrote:Funny about people's perception. Copeland actually did a lot of good and got zero credit. You could make the case that Orsini was almost just the opposite.

Now that the university has money, coaches, and a decent conference to go along with Ford Stadium (which Copeland built BTW), I'd take a Jim Copeland any day.

Copeland did a very good job, with the exception of the football program. Orsini often seemed to only care about football and basketball, so yes definitely opposites in a way.

So what you are saying Ryan is that college programs are just a place for student athletes to come and try out each year to see if you can play for the coach? If not then they are released? I don't think so.