Bowling Green names Louis Orr basketball coach

Apr 4, 2007 - 8:03 PM BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (Ticker) -- Louis Orr was hired Wednesday as the new basketball coach at Bowling Green.

Orr replaces Dan Dakich, who was fired last month after 10 seasons. The Falcons went 13-18 this past season, including a woeful 3-13 mark in the Mid-American Conference.

A fierce comepetitor known for his toughness, Orr comes to Bowling Green after spending six seasons as coach at Seton Hall, where he compiled a 100-80 record. He was fired in 2006, one year after taking the Pirates to the NCAA Tournament.

Orr, 48, takes over a Falcons team that will return 10 of its top 12 scorers from the this past season. Nine are entering their sophomore or junior seasons.

"When you see that there have been just three coaches in 30 years, it shows that this must be a special place," Orr said. "There is an outstanding group of young men here who are eager to continue their journey as student-athletes and I am anxious to begin working with them as we move toward a common goal of winning a MAC championship."

Orr was named the Big East Conference's Coach of the Year in 2003, becoming the first person in league history to receive league honors as both a player and coach.

"He has a passion for coaching and teaching young men that is evident," Bowling Green athletic director Greg Christopher said. "It is that inner drive that he was able to share with us during this process that gives me great confidence that we have attracted an individual to our campus who will mentor and develop champions both on the court and in life."