Louis Orr, who formerly coached at Seton Hall and played for the Knicks, died Thursday at age 64.
“On 12/15/2022, Louis Orr was called home to be with the Lord as his battle with cancer has come to an end,” his family said in a statement. “He was a dearly loved and devoted husband, father, grandfather, brother and friend. He will forever be missed!”
The news was first reported by Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports.
Orr grew up in Cincinnati and starred at Syracuse from 1976-80, earning All-America and All-Big East honors while making four trips to the NCAA Tournament.
“We mourn the loss of an Orange legend — a player, a coach, and most importantly a great person who made everyone around him better,” the Syracuse men’s basketball program wrote on Twitter. “Louis Orr’s memory will live in our hearts forever, and especially whenever we look up and see his No. 55 in the Dome rafters.”
Orr was selected 28th overall by the Pacers in the second round of the 1980 NBA Draft, spending two seasons with Indiana and helping the franchise to its first NBA playoff appearance in 1981. He then joined the Knicks, playing the final years of his career in New York from 1982-88. He averaged 9.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists over eight NBA seasons.
Orr went into coaching in 1991, first as an assistant at Xavier followed by the same role at Providence and Syracuse. He then served as head coach at Siena from 2000-01 before taking over at Seton Hall from 2001-06, after which he was fired following a first-round exit from the NCAA Tournament. He then took over at Bowling Green from 2007-14. Since 2017, he’d been an assistant on his former Knicks teammate Patrick Ewing’s staff at Georgetown.
“I’ve lost a great friend,” Ewing said in a statement via Georgetown. “Someone who has been in my life since I was 22 years old. We developed a friendship and a brotherhood. He was always someone I could talk to — we would talk about life, we would talk about basketball, we would talk about family. He will be truly missed and he will forever be part of this Hoya program.”
Among the mourners was Rick Pitino, currently the head coach of Iona, who coached Orr as an assistant at Syracuse and as head coach of the Knicks.
“So heartbroken with the news of Louis Orr’s passing,” Pitino tweeted. “My first Syracuse recruit n Knick player was as kind a person to play in the NBA — our thoughts and prayers are with his family.”
Orr is survived by his wife of more than 30 years, Yvette, and their two children, daughter Monica and son Chauncey, as well as grandsons, Isaiah and Nasir.