LEWISTON, ID – After 22 seasons at the helm of Lewis-Clark State Women’s Basketball, Head Coach Brian Orr is calling it a career. The winningest coach in Warrior Women’s Basketball history announced his retirement on Wednesday. He wrapped up his career at LC State with an overall record of 538-176 (.754).
“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. “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. He is an extremely talented coach.”
Orr finished the 2022-23 season ranked 10th in wins among active coaches in the NAIA and holds a record of 248-83 (.749) in conference play. LC State has finished the season ranked in the top 25 17 times under his direction and have checked in as high as No. 2 in a final poll.
“It’s been an honor to have been the women’s basketball coach at LC State,” Orr said. “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 took over the program in 2001 and produced 21 winning seasons. His teams made 19 NAIA national tournament appearances, including eight straight from 2005-2012, and finished as the National Runner-Up in 2017. Orr’s Warriors captured three straight Cascade Conference titles, doing so in all three seasons in the conference, and won five Frontier Conference regular season titles and seven tournament crowns.
Twenty-six All-American honors have been bestowed on LC State Women’s Basketball during Orr’s tenure, including current Associate Head Coach Caelyn Orlandi who was recently named the WBCA NAIA Assistant Coach of the Year. Orlandi will be inducted into the LC State Athletics Hall of Fame in April, joining Jasmine Stohr who was also coached by Orr.
“Looking at all the games Coach Orr has won, it is easy to see that he is a phenomenal coach,” Orlandi said. “What goes above all those wins and championships is the guy he is beyond the coach. He cares so much about his players and preparing them for a world after basketball. Coach has a way of bringing out excellence in each and every player he has coached. All it takes is one person to believe in you and when that belief comes from your coach, it is a remarkable feeling. I feel truly honored to have been by his side for the last 10 years and, although I am pretty sure golf won’t be in his retirement future, I am happy that he will get to spend time with his family and take his dog on walks every day.”
Six Warriors have garnered conference Player of the Year accolades under Orr and four have won Freshman of the Year.
Orr has been named the conference Coach of the Year six times, five in the Frontier and once in the Cascade. The leader of the Warrior women earned the 500th victory of his storied career on Feb. 5, 2022.
Before coming to Lewiston, Orr was the top women’s assistant at Montana State University in Bozeman. Prior to his stop in Bozeman, Orr served as the first women’s basketball coach at the University of Great Falls in 15 years. Brian also served as the top assistant coach at perennial NCAA Division II power Montana State University-Billings from 1996-98.
A national search for the next leader of LC State Women’s Basketball will begin immediately.
