Hall of Fame Syracuse University basketball coach Jim Boeheim has probably coached more great players than anybody not named Mike Krzyzewski or Roy Williams, and it all started with Louis Orr, who passed away this week from pancreatic cancer.
Orr was Boeheim’s very first recruit to the Orange, and though he recruited such greats as Derrick Coleman, Pearl Washington, Rony Seikaly, and Carmelo Anthony, with whom Boeheim won a national championship in 2003, Orr stood out for reasons beyond basketball.
In a tweet testifying to the greatness of Orr’s character outside the gym, Boeheim wrote that “Louis Orr was the greatest man I’ve had the pleasure to know.” Praise just doesn’t get any higher than that.
Boeheim continued: “[Orr] came into my life as my first recruit, became a fantastic coach and colleague—but most importantly, he became a dear friend. I will treasure our years together. Sending my love to his family and our Orange family.”
Louis Orr was the greatest man I've had the pleasure to know. He came into my life as my first recruit, became a fantastic coach and colleague—but most importantly, he became a dear friend. I will treasure our years together. Sending my love to his family and our Orange family. pic.twitter.com/gHBnIHh83T
— Jim Boeheim (@therealboeheim) December 16, 2022
Orr starred at Syracuse just as the Big East was entering its heyday, and then played eight seasons in the NBA, many as a New York Knicks teammate of the great Patrick Ewing.
Like Boeheim, Ewing was also greatly impressed by Orr — so much so that Ewing, as the head coach at Georgetown, hired Orr as an assistant before more recently promoting him to special assistant to the head coach.
Orr led Syracuse to four NCAA Tournament appearances from 1976 to 1980 and his No. 55 hangs in the rafters at the the university sports dome, currently called the JMA Dome.
Boeheim, 78, wrote this grand encomium for his friend and former player with great sadness. Orr was just 64 years old.
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