Bowling Green State University Athletics
Louis Orr Press Conference Quotes
April 05, 2007 | Men's Basketball
April 5, 2007
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio (BGSUFalcons.com) - Quotes from Thursday afternoon's (April 5) press conference, introducing Louis Orr as Bowling Green State University's new head men's basketball coach ...
ASSISTANT ATHLETICS DIRECTOR J.D. CAMPBELL
Good afternoon. On behalf of the athletic department at Bowling Green State University, we want to thank you all for attending. We are going to start with some comments from our President, Dr. Sidney Ribeau. Greg Christopher will also have some comments and then will introduce Coach Orr. ... This is really a great day for us. With that, I want to turn it over to the number-one Falcon fan, our President, Dr. Sidney A. Ribeau.
BGSU PRESIDENT DR. SIDNEY RIBEAU
Thank you, J.D., and thank you all for being here. This is a very important day in the history of Bowling Green State University, not just in the intercollegiate athletic program, but in the history of the University. A University in composed of leaders making contributions in a number of different ways. You can make a contribution in the chemistry laboratory, in the residential halls, in dining services or on the basketball court. But, leadership is an intangible that is essential for any organization.
Today, I have the opportunity to welcome to the Bowling Green State University family an individual of character and stature, who represents what Falcon pride and tradition are really about. I would like to take this opportunity to say to Coach Louis Orr and his wife, Yvette, welcome to Bowling Green State University.
It is nice to surround yourself with professionals who believe in the right things, who want to do things the right way. Our coaching staffs and our student-athletes deserve nothing less than that. I see members of our basketball team here today, I see (family members), and that's what it's all about; coming together as a family to make a difference, to make things better, to improve, to achieve ... that is what we are about today, and that is what we are about at this University.
On behalf of the entire University community, I say to Coach Orr and his wife, Yvette, we are glad that you are here, we look forward to working with you, on behalf of you, and helping you assist us in creating the next generation of Bowling Green State University Falcon men's basketball.
DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS GREG CHRISTOPHER
As Dr. Ribeau said, this is really an exciting day for Bowling Green, and for the entire Bowling Green family. We are thrilled to welcome the Orrs to the Bowling Green family.
This was truly a team effort, and I appreciate the efforts of many people on the athletics staff, and also the people in the University itself, that helped to pull this all together, certainly on this day but also during the entire search. Obviously, the accountabilty and some of the attention stops with my office, and I understand that, but there were a lot of people involved in this search, and I appreciate the time and the effort that was put into this.
Also, a tip of the cap goes to Curt Miller. He gets an assist; he's helped us win a lot of games over the years. Curt and Louis actually crossed paths at Syracuse, when both were there as assistants with their respective basketball programs. There were some conversations leading up to this day between Curt and Louis, and I certainly appreciate that.
When this process started about a month ago, I sat down and filled about two sheets of notebook paper with different thoughts and ideas, what I was looking for in a coach. ... I'm not going to go through the entire list, but ultimately there were three that jumped out, and fueled this entire process.
The first was absolute integrity and high character; I felt that was critical. The second was the desire and passion to teach, to coach and to lead those young men (the men's basketball players). At the end of the day, that is our top priority; the student-athletes. Again, whether it is men's basketball or any of our sports, that is the first priority. And the third, ultimately, is the scoreboard that we all live by in athletics. It's the desire and the expectation to compete for championships, because that is what we expect at Bowling Green.
With those things in mind, I am absolutely confident we have the right person in Louis Orr. I felt very good about this hire, and then I introduced him to the team about an hour and a half ago, and watched him spend (some time) with them, and I was floored. In 15 minutes, he sealed the deal with that.
Through various conversations I had ... Louis really stood out amongst the different candidates, and separated himself, so to speak. Certainly, his Ohio roots and the Midwestern recruiting ties were very solid and important to this process. He has competed and he has coached at the highest levels, and I think that brings instant credibility to the program, but also, he's been at the mid-major level. Between Xavier and Siena, I think he understands some of the unique circumstances that we have.
As we move forward, I think you will see two things that will come out as characteristics of the type of program that Louis will run. First, he is truly a genuine person. ... He understands that he is part of a team that starts with the athletic department and extends to the University and ultimately to this entire community, and that is absolutely critical. Second, this is a man who is passionate about basketball. Basketball is the vehicle he uses to teach and coach young men. I think that will play out, and you will see this as he carries this program forward. He is ultimately, absolutely committed to taking this program to the next level.
With that, I would like to introduce the next men's basketball coach of the Bowling Green Falcons, Louis Orr.
BGSU HEAD MEN'S BASKETBALL COACH Louis Orr
(puts on BGSU cap) I don't wear many hats. I think it's a family trait. There are not many hats that fit; our heads are kind of a large size.
To God be the glory. I am very thrilled and pleased, and feel very blessed to be the men's head basketball coach here at Bowling Green State University; to become a member of the Bowling Green family. That's what it's about. As I get older, and the more I've been in coaching and athletics, you can take all the nice buildings and the arenas, all of the glitter and the glamour; it comes down to relationships. It comes down to people. It comes down to commitment. That's the feeling I got the minute I talked to Greg, when I got the chance to meet other administrators, and when I got the chance to sit down with Dr. Ribeau and his wife. It is a large school, but it is truly a warm family.
The fact that I have my family here ... as you get to know me, I can be an emotional guy at times. I don't mind shedding a tear or two. But to have my family here -- I've been involved in a few press conferences in my day, but this is the first time that I've been able to have a lot of my family here. I have my beautiful wife, Yvette, here. I miss my son, Chauncey, and my daughter, Monica, but coming from New Jersey, they have their responsbilities and their obligations. But, it is truly a blessing. It feels good to have family, and to be part of a family that is committed to excellence and support.
The tradition here at Bowling Green is something I have known about since I was young. Growing up in Cincinnati, I've been a fan of MAC basketball for a long time. I remember working out with Cornelius Cash and Skip Howard when I was in high school, and I knew they were from Bowling Green. I remember as a youngster watching Nate Thurmond play, because I was a big NBA fan from a young age. Nate was a great defensive center, played for the Warriors for a long time as you well know, and was one of the top 50 players in the NBA. So, I have been familiar with the history here, and I have gotten more familiar as time has gone on.
And, I am excited about the future, and these young men here to my right. I got a chance to speak to them earlier, and I got a chance to let them know that we are expecting great things. We want to go in expecting great things. It's a process, but I think we have to expect great things out of ourselves. Sometimes, in our youth, we don't expect enough out of you. There's a fine line between winning and losing, and we talked about that, but we are going to make the commitment to be the best that we can be.
We want to compete for championships. I think when you play ball, just like anything else, you want to compete to be the best. You want to compete to be champions. The first champions have to come from within; you have to be the best that you can be as an individual, and then as a team, and you hope that equates to wins. But the first thing you have to do is be the best you can be, and that's our challenge: to be the best that we can be. Those young men that are in the room; that's our challenge, and it starts today, to build on the tradition of Bowling Green basketball.
It is good to be back in Ohio; it is good to be home. I have been a Buckeye all my life; traveled around the East coast for a while, but it is time to get back home. It is good to have the support and the love, not just from the Bowling Green family, but also from my immediate family. It feels good, and I am looking forward to the challenge.
My expectations ... I have been through a lot of things as a player and a coach, and I know what it takes to win. I know you have to lay the foundation to building a championship team, but these young men have what it takes to get off to a good start, and like I said, our expecations are high. We shoot for the stars, and that's what we are looking for.
Again, I am thrilled to be here, I'm looking forward to a great relationship with the community, and I am a family guy and a people person. I lead a normal life. I go to the grocery store -- this past year that I have been off, I did a lot of grocery shopping. My wife went to work; she graduated from college in '05, so I told her, 'I'll take this year off; you go out and earn a living, and I will take care of our son.' I was the one that, when he forgot his schoolwork or his sneakers -- which he did a lot -- he would call and say, 'Dad, can you bring my supplies to school' or 'Dad, can you take me to the game,' and I was the one to make the run. I had more time to spend with my son than I ever had ... I counted my blessings to have the opportunity, but it is time to get back to work, and I am looking forward to it.
Thanks for coming out. It means a lot to me, and I promise you, I'll give you everything that I have, and all that the good Lord allows me to give, and I'm looking forward to great things from these young men and in the future.
