Greg Christopher's Responses

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Aug. 22, 2007

Each week, Bowling Green State University Assistant Vice President/Director of Athletics Greg Christopher answers questions that have been submitted to BGSUFalcons.com. Here is the latest installment...

Q: I am curious as to who else was interviewed during the men's basketball process and why Coach Orr stood out above them considering the current climate at BG.
Ryan in Columbus

While I prefer not to get into specific names, I will walk through the process and why Louis Orr stood out. As a starting point, I had developed a two-page outline of the qualities and attributes we were looking for in a head coach. This ranged from values and character issues to specific basketball thoughts on scheduling, staffing and student-athlete welfare. The document was used to guide conversations and make sure we were on the same page. I had a list of potential coaching candidates that came from a variety of backgrounds - current or former D-I coaches, top assistants, D-II and D-III head coaches and a couple from the professional ranks.

Over the first week or so, I spent many hours on the phone speaking mostly with people in the basketball world and a "kitchen cabinet" of sorts. The cabinet crew consisted of men and women across the hoops landscape - other athletic directors, a few D-I coaches, broadcasters, referees and alumni involved in basketball at the high school, college and NBA levels. Additionally, a few staff members and colleagues were making similar calls to contacts around the country. This group of advisors helped me sort through the names and inserted a few new candidates.

Once the list was condensed to a manageable number, I had substantive phone conversations with 12 candidates. From this group, five coaches were interviewed in person.

Three quick thoughts on the process: first, I was surprised by the volume of free advice from coaches, agents and others regarding their potential candidates; second, BGSU was highly regarded both institutionally and athletically; third, the hiring process was a tremendous team effort.

Regarding Louis himself, his name was on my starting list because of his success at Siena, followed by Seton Hall and his Ohio ties. Curt Miller gets an assist, as he helped start the conversation between Louis and me. Curt and Louis coached together when both were assistants at Syracuse.

While I spoke and met with a talented group of coaches during the three-week process, Louis stood out as the right fit for a variety of reasons. I am confident that we won't find a finer person to lead our student-athletes. His first goal is to teach and mold young men - basketball happens to be the vehicle he uses.

It was evident through our conversations that Louis has a strong desire to compete for championships. Louis' background as both a player and coach brings instant credibility to BGSU and the MAC. From a recruiting standpoint, he can get in the front door with student-athletes that will take our men's basketball program to the next level. I also believe he is a coach that can make an immediate impact. The MAC has proven to be a league somewhat like the NFL - the level of talent from top to bottom isn't dramatically different. Improvements in the little things can make a difference now. Louis and I both believe we have a team that can compete with the best in the MAC.

After finalizing things with Louis, I was thrilled with how things worked out. When he came to campus and met our team for the first time, I knew we had made the right choice. About two hours before the press conference in April, we introduced Louis to the team, and he spent 45 minutes talking with the returning student-athletes. Without any prompting, Louis went around the locker room and spoke to our players individually; connecting by name, with specific comments and suggestions gleaned from watching games and talking with other coaches. This positive first step carried over into spring workouts and summer conditioning.

As you know, Louis is now busy preparing for his first season. Practice begins in October and come November we look forward to watching the Louis Orr era begin at Bowling Green.