Mark Orr was named Sacramento State’s Director of Athletics on March 27, 2017. He became the University’s 16th athletics director.
During that time, Orr has had a significant impact on Hornet Athletics, helping steer the program to multiple conference championships, record-breaking seasons, NCAA postseason appearances, and excellence in the classroom. He is also heavily involved in the Sacramento community, which includes serving on the board of directors for the Sacramento Black Chamber of Commerce. Orr is also a member of the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA).
ON-FIELD ACHIEVEMENTS
One of Orr’s early decisions paid off quickly with the hiring of Troy Taylor as the Hornets’ head football coach prior to the 2019 season. Taylor led the football program to Big Sky Championships in 2019, 2021 and 2022. Sacramento State has qualified for the NCAA FCS playoffs four times since Orr arrived on campus, snapping a 31-year postseason drought.
Orr was also responsible for the hiring of women's basketball coach Mark Campbell who guided the team to its first NCAA Div. I Tournament appearance in 2023.
Overall, the Hornets have won 25 conference championships under Orr’s watch.
CLASSROOM EXCELLENCE
Sacramento State Athletics continues to excel in the classroom under Orr, receiving dozens of all-academic honors every semester. Both men’s basketball and women’s golf have received an NCAA Public Recognition Award every year of Orr’s tenure for having an Academic Progress Rate (APR) score that ranks among the top 10 percent nationally in their respective sports.
Sacramento State remains the only public school in California to ever receive the NCAA Public Recognition Award in men’s basketball, and the Hornets have earned the honor four consecutive years.
CONTINUED GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
Facilities and operations also continue to grow under Orr’s guidance. In 2018, Sacramento State softball and men’s and women’s soccer opened a brand new, state-of-the-art concessions and restroom facility for fans as Shea Stadium and Hornet Field. Continuous improvements to The Nest, home of Sacramento State men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and gymnastics, continue to elevate the experience for student-athletes and fans alike, while the Broad Fieldhouse weight training room was renovated in early 2020. In addition, a new playing surface was installed at Hornet Stadium during the summer of 2020 and the beach volleyball team debuted its brand new facility in the fall of 2020.
With an eye on the future, Orr and the department have plans for further renovations to Hornet Stadium as well as finalizing the long awaited events center which will serve as the home for basketball while also giving an on-campus location for commencement.
IN ADDITION TO SACRAMENTO STATE
A Sacramento native, Orr returned to his hometown to lead Hornet Athletics after a very successful run as the Director of Athletics and Recreation at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, Calif. Under his leadership, Saint Mary’s teams qualified 17 times for the NCAA postseason, including the men’s basketball team’s appearance in the Sweet 16 in 2010, men’s soccer’s appearance in the NCAA quarterfinals in 2011, and the men’s golf team’s qualification for the NCAA Championships in 2008 and 2013.
He started his career at Saint Mary’s in August of 2000 as the Assistant Director of Athletics for Student Support Services. Orr then was promoted to the Senior Associate Director of Athletics for Finance and Internal Affairs where he oversaw the department’s budget and was also 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.
Orr began his career in intercollegiate athletics at Cal, 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 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 Cal 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, have two children, Tyson Mark and Jacob William. Orr's father, Greg, was one of the first Major League Baseball African American scouts where he served in the New York Yankees organization for over three decades. His brother, Chris, is currently the principal at Capital Christian High School in Sacramento.
(updated as of January 2025)
