Summer brings changes in the SMU athletic landscape

SMU has made adjustments all around its burgeoning department.

Photo by Sidney Hollingsworth

SMU is filling seats like never before.

This year has certainly been full of changes for SMU Athletics.

From a tumultuous men’s basketball season that led to the subsequent firing of Coach Matt Doherty, to the hiring of basketball legend Larry Brown, the SMU Athletic department has been nothing short of busy.

No less than a week after his arrival, Brown cut four basketball players, one of whom was the starting point guard.

Despite the gaping hole in the roster, Brown has managed to add several key recruits before the start of the school year. So far, Arizona transfer Josiah Turner and former Illinois shooting guard Crandall Head have signed on with the team.

According to a report from Rivals.com, Brown has already reached out to several players for the 2013-2014 season, including the five-star Harrison twins from Houston.

On the heels of the enormous changes made to the men’s basketball team, SMU President R. Gerald Turner announced in May the release of the man behind the hiring of June Jones and Brown, Athletic Director Steve Orsini.

Tim Leonard has been named the interim athletic director for the university, as the search for a permanent replacement continues.

Despite naming an interim AD, SMU is still in the midst of finding Orsini’s permanent replacement as summer reaches the midway point and football season looms around the corner.

The 2012-2013 football season will prove to be an exciting one, as many new developments have been made with the team.

The Mustangs have already begun gearing up for their move to the Big East next year by switching equipment suppliers from Adidas to Nike — a move that many student athletes are excited about.

In addition, SMU’s entire football season will be broadcast through a combined effort of Fox Sports Net, CBS Sports Network, CSS, and Time Warner Texas.

In previous seasons, away games were difficult to find on cable, if they were broadcast at all.

On the women’s side, a stellar new head soccer coach — Chris Petrucelli — has been named to the team. Petrucelli is a two-time National Coach of the Year and also led Notre Dame to an NCAA Championship in 1995.

“We are very excited to bring Chris [Pernucelli] on to lead our women’s soccer program,” said Leonard.

“He is one of the top coaches in the nation and we know he can lead our program back to national prominence.”

No doubt the university has made some significant changes, and only time will tell, but the Mustangs seem up to the challenge.