Now
entering his 9th year as the women’s basketball coach at Lewis-Clark State
College, Brian Orr has established himself as one of the premier coaches in
the Frontier Conference and NAIA, and is quickly becoming one of the most
accomplished basketball coaches in Warrior history.
Orr hit the 200-win milestone in one of the Warriors’ most memorable games
as they defeated Westminster 79-78 in the championship game of the Frontier
Conference Tournament in Salt Lake City. Westminster had won its previous 16
games against conference opponents during the season before the Warriors
were able to capture their second straight conference tournament title.
Amassing an overall win-loss record of 200-65 (.755), Orr has compiled a
number of honors and trophies. Between 2005-08, he earned three straight
Frontier Conference Coach of the Year awards, and led his team to three
straight regular-season conference championships. In the last four years,
Orr has an 109-23 (.826) overall record and a 48-8 (.857) mark in the
conference. Under Orr’s leadership the Warriors have qualified for the NAIA
national championship seven times in the last eight years.
On December 10, 2005, with a victory over Warner Pacific College, Orr won
his 100th contest, a milestone that was achieved faster than any previous
L-C basketball coach. In his eight seasons at the helm, Orr has averaged 25
wins per season, the best in the history of the program. His teams currently
have the best home court winning percentage at the school with a remarkable
109-15 (.879) record. In addition, Coach Orr has compiled an impressive
88-24 (.788) conference record, another first in the Lewis-Clark State
record book.
Before coming to Lewiston, Orr was the top women’s assistant at Montana
State University in Bozeman, Montana. During the 2000-01 campaign, the MSU
Bobcats posted the fourth-best turnaround in NCAA Division I and finished
with an 18-10 overall record and an 11-5 record in the Big Sky Conference.
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. In his three years at MSU-Billings he
helped lead the Yellowjackets to a 64-22 record and three straight trips to
the National Tournament. MSU-B finished the 1998-99 season at 25-6 and
advanced to the “Elite Eight”, the best finish in school history.
|
Coach Orr Year-by-Year |
|
Year |
Conference |
Overall |
Overall % |
|
08-09 |
10-4 |
23-8 |
.719 |
|
07-08 |
13-1 |
29-5 |
.853 |
|
06-07 |
14-0 |
31-3 |
.912 |
|
05-06 |
11-3 |
26-7 |
.788 |
|
04-05 |
10-4 |
22-11 |
.667 |
|
03-04 |
9-5 |
23-10 |
.697 |
|
02-03 |
11-3 |
23-10 |
.697 |
|
01-02 |
10-4 |
23-11 |
.676 |
|
Total |
88-24 |
200-65 |
.755 |
Before serving at MSU-Billings,
Orr was the head boy’s basketball coach at Fergus High School in Lewistown,
Mont., from 1991-96. He was named the school’s Teacher of the Year in 1996.
Brian also served as both the head boy’s and girl’s coach at Simms High
School in Simms, Montana, from 1986-91. In 1990, he led the team to the
Montana State High School Class B State Championship, while being named
Coach of the Year by the Montana Coaches Association. And in 1989, he was
honored by the Dufresne Foundation as the Outstanding Educator of the Year.
Orr began his head coaching career at Joplin-Inverness High School in
Joplin, Montana. From 1982-86, he served as the school’s head boy’s and
girl’s basketball coach and athletic director. In his 14-year high school
coaching career, his teams won five conference titles and his girl’s teams
amassed a 101-39 (.721) record.
A native of Livingston, Mont., Orr graduated in 1982, from Eastern Montana
College, now known as Montana State-Billings, with a Bachelor of Science
Degree in Secondary Education. He received his Master’s of Science Degree in
Education from MSU-Billings in 1997. Brian is married to the former Bonnie
Olson. The couple has four children, Pat, Casey, TJ, & Bobby.
Janeen Nelson
Assistant Women's Basketball Coach
Former
Warrior Janeen Nelson begins her first season as an assistant coach in the
program, replacing Robin Bogar who has taken a new position within the LCSC
athletic department. She was a standout guard for the Warriors during the
2005-06 and 06-07 seasons, helping the Warriors to two straight conference
championships.
Following her playing career, Nelson served as an assistant coach at Union
High in Roosevelt, Utah, which is her alma mater.
“We are really excited to have Janeen join our coaching staff,” said LCSC
coach Brian Orr. “The fact that she knows our system is a big plus, but she
will also bring tremendous energy to the floor every single day.”
During her senior season, Nelson started 29 games and averaged 12.4 points
per game, which was third on the team. She led the team with 86 3-pointers,
which is tied for fourth on the program’s all-time single-season list. She
shot 42.4 percent from the 3-point line, which ranked second on the team,
and she was third in steals and fourth in assists. She earned Academic
All-Conference honors and was a second-team all-league selection.
During her junior season, Nelson appeared in all 33 games and led the team
in 3-point shooting at 37 percent. In conference play, she finished in the
top 10 in 3-point shooting with 25 made and ranked sixth in 3-point field
goal percentage at 43.1 percent. She also was an Academic All-Conference
selection.
Prior to LCSC, Nelson was a two-year starter at College of Easter Utah where
she averaged 10.5 points per game, which ranked 12th in the conference. She
made 61 3-pointers that season, which was third in the conference. She also
served as captain of her team.
Nelson grew up in Roosevelt, Utah and was a four-year starter at Union High
School. She was named the Region 10 Player of the Year as a senior and was
also a first-team All-State selection after being an honorable mention
choice as a sophomore and a second-team selection as a junior. She also
lettered three years in soccer and two in softball where she earned
All-State honors as a senior.
Nelson graduated from LCSC in 2007 with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology.
