MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – For the first time in 21 years, the SUNY Orange athletic department is under new leadership as the College announces the hiring of Brian Burns as athletic director, replacing the recently retired Wayne Smith who served in that capacity since September 2004. Burns assumed his new role on Aug. 18.

An Ellenville native, Burns most recently was an assistant athletic director at Onondaga Community College. He joined the Onondaga staff in September 2023, coordinating scheduling of practices, games and other events for the Lazers’ 16 competitive National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division III teams, as well as cheer and esports. In addition, he was the game-day administrator for all Onondaga athletic events and assisted with fundraising initiatives.

“We are excited to welcome Brian to the Colt family. As a young athlete, he spent time at SUNY Orange in our summer camps and leagues, and now he’s returning to lead our athletic department,” said Dr. Kristine Young, SUNY Orange president. “While we anticipate great things from Brian, I also wish to thank Wayne for his 26 years of service to our College, and in particular his 21 years of professional leadership of our athletic department and unfailing dedication to our teams and student-athletes.”

“Brian brings us experience at both the NCAA and NJCAA levels,” added Mike Albright, executive director for communications, who provides Cabinet-level administrative support and oversight for the athletics program. “He understands junior college athletics, particularly within Region XV and throughout SUNY. He will be a tremendous asset to our coaches and staff. More importantly, he is committed to supporting student-athletes to assure they can be successful competitively and academically. His skill set, experience and energy will be a great fit.”

“I would like to thank President Young, Mike Albright and SUNY Orange leadership for the opportunity to serve as the next director of athletics. I want to thank the search committee members for their time, trust and confidence in my vision for the future of Colts athletics,” Burns said. “I look forward to working with our staff and coaches to provide the best experience for our student-athletes while honoring the mission and values of SUNY Orange.”

Burns is no stranger to the Hudson Valley, or the NJCAA Region XV in which the Colts compete. From October 2021 through September 2023, he held several roles at Mount Saint Mary College, including the dual positions of transfer admissions counselor and athletics liaison (2021-22) before transitioning to associate athletic director (2022-23). Those opportunities gave him experience in the areas of institutional admissions and recruitment, academic advising, athletic compliance, athlete eligibility and event management.

Prior to his time with the Knights, Burns served as coordinator of athletic operations and intramurals at Sullivan Community College from January 2019 through October 2021, where he worked with current Region XV athletic directors Brent Wilson (Hostos Community College), Simon Clement (Sullivan Community College) and Ryan Snair (Ulster County Community College).

Burns earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from SUNY Plattsburgh, where he was a standout pitcher for the Cardinals. He appeared in 49 games, which still ranks second on Plattsburgh’s career list. His 86 career strikeouts ranked ninth on the program’s all-time chart when he graduated. He finished with a career record of 10-5 and a 3.73 earned run average. As a senior in 2013, he posted a 6-3 record and a 2.02 ERA with two shutouts, earning the team’s most outstanding pitcher award, as well as second-team All-SUNYAC and third-team all-region honors. He remained at Plattsburgh until 2018 as an assistant baseball coach, first in a graduate assistant capacity and then as a full-time assistant from 2015 to 2018.

Burns replaces Smith, who spent 26 years in total at SUNY Orange, joining the College in 1999 as head baseball coach and professor within the Movement Science Department. Following the 2016 season, he stepped down as the head baseball coach after 17 years.

SUNY Orange fields nine intercollegiate athletics teams in the Mid-Hudson Conference and NJCAA Region XV. The program’s four Division II scholarship sports are men’s basketball, women’s basketball, baseball and softball, while it supports five Division III non-scholarship programs: men’s cross country, women’s cross country, men’s soccer, volleyball and golf.