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Steve Orsini
 Steve Orsini |
Arriving on the Hilltop with over 25 years of experience in athletic administration, Steve Orsini began his tenure as the Director of Athletics at SMU on June 1, 2006.
Orsini has already created excitement for SMU fans by hiring 2001 Associated Press National Coach of the Year Matt Doherty to lead the Mustang men’s basketball program.
Orsini came to SMU from the University of Central Florida, where he served as A.D. since June 2002. At UCF, he helped transform UCF into a top athletic program. He guided the Golden Knights to Conference USA membership and established the UCF Athletics Association, Inc., a private, non-profit, direct support organization of the University of Central Florida.
As part of a 70 percent increase in the department’s budget during his tenure, Orsini increased funding for all sports while at UCF and the Golden Knights achieved immediate success under his leadership. During the 2004-05 academic year, six UCF teams advanced to NCAA play, including the men's basketball squad, which made its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. Competing in their last season in the Atlantic Sun Conference, the Golden Knights swept the league's all-sports awards, given to the top program in the conference, for the third straight year. UCF followed that up by advancing to the inaugural Conference USA Football Championship Game and its first-ever bowl appearance in the fall of 2005 after winning the C-USA Eastern Division crown. In all, 25 teams competed in postseason play during his time at UCF, and the Golden Knights posted their highest-ever NACDA Cup finishes in 2003-04 and 2004-05.
Orsini's tenure at UCF was marked by growth. He oversaw major facility additions and renovations at UCF, including the completion of the Wayne Densch Sports Center and the Nicholson Fieldhouse, two of the top athletic facilities in the nation. He also initiated plans and secured financing for a new on-campus football stadium, a softball stadium complex, a rowing boathouse and a convocation center and arena as part of a $270 million mixed-use development - all of which are set to open by the fall of 2007.
Orsini expanded the Golden Knight fan base, with UCF setting all-time records in football season ticket sales and in revenues generated through ticket sales, corporate sponsorships and fundraising. He also saw UCF set attendance records for football and men’s and women’s basketball contests.
In addition to their successes on the field, Orsini made it a priority that Golden Knight student-athletes achieve success in the classroom as well. During the 2004-05 academic year, a record number of UCF student-athletes earned academic accolades, with the football team boasting the best fall semester team grade point average in the school's Division I-A history.
Prior to his appointment at UCF, Orsini spent three years as senior associate director of athletics for the Georgia Tech Athletic Association. In that capacity he was responsible for administration and business affairs for the Yellow Jackets. He played a pivotal role in the expansion of the football and baseball stadiums and also served as the tournament manager for the 2002 NCAA Final Four in the Georgia Dome.
Orsini, 50, joined the Georgia Tech staff after five years as the Associate Athletics Director and Treasurer at the U.S. Naval Academy Athletic Association. Previously, he spent 10 years in administration with the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League.
A native of Hummelstown, Pa., Orsini graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1978 with a degree in Business Administration, majoring in accounting. He was a three-time letter winner at fullback on the Fighting Irish football team and was one of four team captains on the 1977 national championship squad.
After graduation, he spent three years as Senior Assistant Accountant and became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in the New York office of the national accounting firm Deloitte, Haskins and Sells.
He began his career in athletics administration in 1981 as Assistant Business Manager and Ticket Manager at Notre Dame and remained in that capacity for three years until leaving to join the Dallas Cowboys as ticket manager in 1984. He became Director of Administration for the Cowboys in 1989, serving in that capacity until 1993 when he went back into private business as the Sales Controller for Fujitsu-ICL Systems, Inc. in Dallas. He resumed his career in athletics administration at the Naval Academy in 1994.
During his time at Navy, Orsini was responsible for all business and legal affairs and helped increase the Athletic Association's revenue by 70 percent. Responsible for the development of the department of External Affairs while at Navy, the program set all-time records at the school for season ticket sales, marketing and sponsorship revenues and fan attendance during his tenure.
Orsini is married to the former Amy Kertesz of South Bend, Ind., and the couple has a nine-year-old daughter, Angela.
