LCSC women's hoops coach Orr retires after 22 seasons, 538 wins

Mar. 23—Lewis-Clark State women's basketball coach Brian Orr announced his retirement Wednesday, ending an impressive run of 22 seasons at the helm.

"It's been an honor to have been the women's basketball coach at LC State," Orr said in a news release. "I have been extremely fortunate to have had so many talented players, dedicated assistants and the community support for our basketball program is truly special."

Orr retires as the winningest coach in program history, owning a record of 538-176. Before his announcement, Orr was 10th among all active NAIA coaches in wins.

His leaving the program comes just nine days after the team's season ended in a round of 16 national tournament game against eventual champion Clarke (Iowa) in Sioux City, Iowa. The Warriors fell 87-75 to the Pride, culminating a season in which they went 30-4 overall, tied for the Cascade Conference regular-season title and were ranked No. 10 in the final coaches top 25 regular-season poll. The win total was the fourth-most in program history.

Since Orr took charge of the program in 2001, LCSC has had just one losing season. Orr's teams made the NAIA national tournament 19 times and finished as the national runner-up in 2017. In his final three seasons, he led LCSC to the regular-season championship in the Cascade. Orr also led the Warriors to five Frontier Conference regular-season crowns and seven tournament titles.

"I want to thank Brian for more than 20 years of outstanding service and dedication to LC State and our student-athletes," athletic director Brooke Henze said in a press release. "For the last 22 years, Brian has led the women's basketball program with intensity, a competitive drive and has always pushed for the best opportunities for the program and its student-athletes. Brian's recruitment and retention are unmatched. He recruits great students, people and basketball players that know how to win. What Brian has accomplished and the level that he has taken LC State women's basketball to something that we are proud of."

Orr has coached 26 All-Americans in his tenure, most recently Callie Stevens, the player of the year in the Cascade this season. She was named a second-team All-American on Tuesday.

Orr also has coached two LCSC Hall of Famers: Jasmine Stohr and soon-to-be-inducted Caelyn Orlandi, who currently is an assistant on the team and was named this season's Women's Basketball Coaches Association NAIA assistant of the year Tuesday.

"We're grateful for the time he spent at LC," Henze said. "He's a great coach and we're grateful for all the work he's done for us."

Before coming to Lewiston, he was the top women's assistant at NCAA Division I Montana State. He also was the women's coach at University of Great Falls and served as the top assistant at Montana State-Billings from 1996-98.

Orr began his coaching career at Joplin-Inverness High School in Joplin, Mont., as boys and girls coach. From there, he was the boys and girls coach at Simms High School in Simms, Mont., from 1986-91. In 1989, he was honored by the Dufresne Foundation as the outstanding educator of the year. The next year, Orr led Simms to the Class B state championship and was named coach of the year by the Montana Coaches Association. In 14 years of coaching at the high school level, Orr had a record of 101-39.

A native of Livingston, Mont., Orr graduated from Eastern Montana College, now Montana State-Billings, in 1982. He is married to the former Bonnie Olson. The couple has four children, Pat, Casey, TJ and Bobby.

A sports information spokesperson said the athletic department immediately will open a national search for a new coach.

Orr's LCSC coaching record

2001-02: 23-11

2002-03: 23-10

2003-04: 23-10

2004-05: 22-11

2005-06: 26-7

2006-07: 31-3

2007-08: 29-5

2008-09: 23-8

2009-10: 29-6

2010-11: 29-5

2011-12: 29-5

2012-13: 8-21

2013-14: 27-6

2014-15: 21-11

2015-16: 27-7

2016-17: 35-2

2017-18: 18-13

2018-19: 22-12

2019-20: 21-10

2020-21: 14-6

2021-22: 28-3

2022-23: 30-4

Overall: 538-176

Kowatsch can be reached at 208-848-2277, tkowatsch@lmtribune.com or on Twitter @Teren_Kowatsch.