Published: May 06, 2008 11:19 pm            

Saying goodbye: Former Orr assistants return to Navarro to bid farewell

The guest list read like a who’s who in the fraternity of college basketball coaches.

Many former assistant coaches returned to Navarro Tuesday to say goodbye to their mentor — coach Lewis Orr.

After 32 years of coaching at Navarro, Orr is retiring and the school hosted a retirement ceremony for its coaching legend at the Cook Center on the campus of Navarro College.

“I have spent 20 years with coach Orr and he has had a profound effect on over 100 student athletes while he was here,” athletic director Roark Montgomery said. “I would think he spent more of his time talking life with his players than he did X’s and O’s because that was the type of man he was.”

One of those whom Orr touched during his time at Navarro flew in from Milwaukee, Wis. to help honor his mentor.

New Marquette basketball coach Buzz Williams, who was a student assistant under Orr, made the trip for the ceremony and told those in attendance that “coach Orr has always been a part of who he wants to be as a coach.”

“When someone retires, its not about the coach and what he has done, its about the lives they touch.” Williams said. “He is a part of my family and a part of who I am.

“I feel unbelievably grateful that I swept floors here at Navarro.”

Williams said he attended Navarro for a place to live.

As a 17-year-old kid, Williams walked up to Orr and asked him if he could come to practice.

From that point, Orr took Williams under his wing and the relationship evolved.

“It is unbelievable,” Williams said. “I didn’t have any idea of where that would lead. Coach Orr is a part of my family and my life has been molded from my two years here at Navarro.”

Texas Wesleyan coach Terry Waldrop, was also an assistant under Orr, said the one thing he will always take with him that he learned was to treat everyone with respect.

“You don’t feel the impact he has on you until you get away from it,” Waldrop said. “He is a great coach and you couldn’t find someone with as much passion for life than him.”

Orr retires from Navarro ranked sixth among active junior college basketball coaches in wins with 678 career victories.

In true Orr fashion, he gave the credit to his success to the young men that he has coached in his legendary career.

“God has blessed me with some wonderful young men that helped this school have a really good basketball program,” he said. “I want to thank the town of Corsicana, because when we were down and out, they prayed for us and stood by us.”

        

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