Louis McLaughlin Orr (1958 - 2022)

Born 7 May 1958 in Cincinnati, Hamilton, Ohio, United States

Ancestors

Died 15 Dec 2022 at age 64 in Washington, District of Columbia, United States

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Biography

Louis McLaughlin Orr was an American basketball player and coach. He played professionally in the NBA and became a college basketball coach.

Louis Orr is a part of US Black heritage.

Louis Orr is Notable.

Louis was born in 1958 in Cincinnati, Ohio to Lindsay and Mildred Orr.

He died in 2022.^[1]

Obituary

Louis McLaughlin Orr was born May 7, 1958, the third youngest son of the late Lindsay and Mildred Orr. He transitioned to his eternal home on December 15, 2022.

Louis was born in Cincinnati, OH, where he was raised in the community of Madisonville. He and his beloved wife of 31 years, shared two beautiful children, . He has two grandchildren that were his pride and joy.

Early in life, Louis developed a love for the game of basketball. From watching his older brothers battle on the courts of Madisonville, to consistently playing one on one against his imaginary friend, Scuba Skaba, Louis began to earn his stripes in the Orr household. Following the family tradition, Louis attended Withrow High School where he earned his way on the varsity team as a Junior. While at Withrow, he obtained Cincinnati Public High School League Most Valuable Player and First Team All-City by the Enquirer as a Senior. He also earned MVP honors for the Cincinnati-Dayton All-Star Game. As colleges started to take notice of his talent, he received one offer he could not resist.

Louis attended the University of Syracuse on a basketball scholarship from 1976-1980, where he earned his Bachelors Degree in Business. During his college career, he became famous for being a part of the dynamic duo “The Louie and Bouie Show”. The two (Roosevelt Bouie and Louis) became a force in the new era of the Big East Conference. In their 1979-1980 season, they peaked as the 2nd ranked team in the country, as well as winning The Big East Conference Championship. In Louis’ final year of college, he obtained the honor of being named an NCAA All-American and 1st Team All Big-East.

After completing college, Louis was blessed to be drafted to the NBA by the Indiana Pacers as the 28th overall pick. He played two seasons with the Pacers and six with the New York Knicks.

As he finished his professional career overseas in Italy, the Lord began to order his steps in a different direction. He then moved back home to Cincinnati, where he received a job working as a claim’s agent for Allstate, while also working at his family owned business, “The Hut”. Louis soon found out that although basketball was his passion, coaching was his calling. In 1990, he began volunteering his time coaching little league basketball and with the Xavier University Men’s Basketball program. The following year, he was brought on as an assistant coach under Pete Gillen at Xavier and Providence College. As he began to learn the ropes of coaching, the Lord began to use him to minister to the young men on and off the basketball court. After two seasons with Providence College, he was offered the opportunity to return to his Alma Mater to coach with his mentor and college head coach, Jim Boeheim. Here, he began to develop a unique bond with the student-athletes. During his tenure, he began mentoring, inviting players to church, providing occasional meals and devoting his time to their individual development.

He continued to follow his God-given purpose when he became the Head Coach at Siena University, Seton Hall University and Bowling Green State University. He held such accolades as having the best 1st year record of any Siena head coach, the first former Big East player to become a Big East Head Coach, Big East Coach of the Year in 2003, MAC Coach of the Year in 2009, inducted into the Fellowship of Christian Athletes NWO Hall of Champions in 2011 and leading his teams to two NCAA and two NIT appearances. His last five seasons of coaching were spent as an assistant to his dear friend, Patrick Ewing at Georgetown University.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Lindsay and Mildred Orr.

He leaves to cherish his memory: his beautiful wife; two children; two grandchildren, ad his two brothers, Also surviving are a great number of nieces, nephews and a host of family and friends.^[2]

Sources

1. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (findagrave.com: accessed 03 April 2023), memorial page for Louis M. Orr (7 May 1958–15 Dec 2022), Find A Grave: Memorial #247460076, citing Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.
2. ↑ Preston Charles Funeral Home, (Cincinnati, Ohio), Web, accessed 3 Apr 2023. link.