Mark Orr Director of Athletics and Recreational Sports

Mark Orr Interview with Gary Radnich

New AD Press Conference

Mark Orr was named the Director of Athletics and Recreational Sports on March 28, 2006. Orr oversees the Department of Athletics 14-team intercollegiate athletic program.

In his first year as the Athletic Director, a number of changes have been made to the existing athletic facilities, with 1.2 million dollars of renovations to McKeon Pavilion, Saint Mary's Stadium, Madigan Gym, and the Korth Tennis Complex. McKeon Pavilion renovations include chair back seating behind the team benches, reconditioning of the VIP section, and installing a new sound system. McKeon also received new locker rooms and offices for men's and women's basketball along with volleyball. The stadium field was replaced with a new bermuda playing surface, the upstairs bleachers in Madigan Gym have been converted into a cardiovascular fitness area, and the Timothy Korth Tennis Complex has been altered to make watching events more spectator friendly. Also a new Student-Athlete Academic Center has been added to Madigan Gym. The Pat Vincent Rugby Field also welcomed a new surface as well.

Under his leadership, Saint Mary's athletics added five new positions in the past year to the athletic staff. Orr also hired head women's basketball coach Paul Thomas, who was named the Division II National Coach of the Year in 2002. On top of the additions, numerous firsts have been achieved in just one year. The athletic department launched a new logo through Osaki Designs which was unveiled on July 21, 2007. Orr was instrumental in working out the largest television agreement in school history with Comcast Sports Net. Since Orr's hiring in March, SMC has earned its highest two finishes in the West Coast Conference Commissioner's Cup since the inception of the award. During the 2006-07 men's basketball season, SMC shattered its single season attendance record.

Prior to his appointment as Director of Athletics and Recreational Sports, Orr served as the Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Finance and Internal Affairs at Saint Mary's for the past two years. Orr ran most of the day-to-day activities, which included coordinating the internal administrative affairs for the department, facilitating the Men's and Women's Tennis Fund Raising Association, coordinating all departmental travel, negotiating department guarantees, preparing department contracts, and assisting with the development of the Strategic Plan for the Department of Athletics and Recreational Sports.

During his tenure at Saint Mary's, Orr handled almost every facet to the Department of Athletics. In addition to the management of the department's $9.1 million budget, he served as the lead sport administrator for football, women's basketball, women's volleyball, and men's and women's tennis. Additionally, he was responsible for compliance, sports medicine, strength and conditioning, and ticket operations. In February of 2003, Orr assumed the position of Associate Director of Athletics for Business and Finance, before being promoted to the Senior Associate Director of Athletics in October of 2004.

Orr came to Saint Mary's College on August 4, 2000 as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Student Support Services, responsible for overseeing eligibility for student-athletes, the Champs Life Skills program, and assisting with compliance.

He came to SMC from the University of California at Berkeley, where he served as the Compliance Assistant and the Interim Eligibility Assistant in 1999-2000. He also served as a peer advisor and senior tutor for two years and was a teaching assistant and graduate student instructor that same year. Orr completed his bachelor's degree from UC Berkeley in Social Welfare in 1999 and earned his master's degree in education in 2000.

Orr is a native of Sacramento, where he attended Christian Brothers schools throughout his childhood and graduated from Christian Brothers High School in Sacramento in 1994. He earned a scholarship to play football at Cal, where he played from 1994-98. A four-year letterman defensive back on the California football team, Orr was an Honorable Mention All-Academic Pac-10 selection in 1997 and 1998. He was awarded the Pappy Waldorf Honorary Scholarship for Academic Excellence in 1998 and received the Tiny Bates Memorial Award for Leadership in 1998. Orr and his wife April currently live in Walnut Creek and recently welcomed their first child, Tyson Mark on Jan. 19, 2007.