| Rob Orr | |
| Fullname: | C. Rob Orr |
| Birth Date: | September, 1950 |
| Alma Mater: | University of Southern California |
| Player Years1: | 1968-1972 |
| Player Team1: | University of Southern California |
| Coach Team2: | University of Southern California Asst. Coach |
| Coach Years2: | 1975-1977 circa |
| Coach Team3: | Dad's Club AAU Swim Team |
| Coach Years3: | 1977-1979 |
| Coach Team4: | Princeton University |
| Coach Years4: | 1979-2019 |
| Overall Record: | 322-57 .85 Win Pct. As of 2017, (Princeton) |
| Championships: | 23 Ivy League Championships |
| Awards: | 6 x EISL Coach of the Year 2015 CSCAA Richard Steadman Award 1990 Master Coach Award (CSCAA) |
Charles Robison "Rob" Orr (born September 1950) was the men's swim coach at Princeton University from 1979 to 2019 where he led the team to 23 Ivy League Championships. Before arriving at Princeton, Orr had been an assistant coach for the University of Southern California for three years, and then a Head Coach at Dad's Swim Club in Houston, Texas.[1]
Orr graduated from San Gabriel High School in California in 1968. As a senior in high school, Orr earned All-America status in the 100-yard butterfly. Orr's time of 52.9 seconds placed him sixth in the nation, five spots behind Mark Spitz.[2]
After High School graduation, Orr went on to have a successful swimming career at the University of Southern California which included selection to the 1971 Pan American Games swim team representing the United States in Cali, Colombia; Orr was the silver medalist in the 200-meter butterfly in Cali. As a senior at USC, Orr was voted team captain by his teammates and earned All-America status in the 200-yard butterfly, placing fifth in the nation. At the 1972 NCAA championship, Orr placed fifth to Mark Spitz's winning record time in the 200-yard butterfly, receiving a 1:51.808, which lagged behind Spitz by 3.3 seconds.[3] Orr completed his Bachelors at USC in 1972, and then completed a Masters in Physical Education from the University.[4]
In 1972, Orr competed in the 1972 Olympic Trials in Chicago where he placed 15th in prelims.[5]
Beginning his coaching career with a great learning experience, he was an Assistant coach at USC for three years from around 1975-1977, where he was mentored by Hall of Fame Coach Peter Daland during the period the Trojans won three consecutive NCAA Swimming and Diving Championships.[6] He coached at Dad's Club AAU Swim Club in Houston, Texas from around 1977-1979. A high performing group, under Orr's leadership Dad's Club took first place in a competition between twenty-three teams at the South All-Star Qualifying Swim Meet in Edinburg, in South Texas, in November '78.[7] [8] [9]
Orr served as the head men's swim coach at Princeton University from 1979-2019, announcing his retirement from the school at the end of his tenure at the age of 68. During his service at Princeton, he was the head coach at the 1991 Olympic Festival and in 1993 was the women's head coach for the U.S. national junior team.
His Princeton teams have won 19 EISL/Ivy League championships, most recently in 2012.[10] His career record in dual meets, at Princeton as of 2017 was 322-57, which included a 115-2 record at Princeton's DeNunzio Pool (the first loss came after a 107 meet winning streak in DeNunzio Pool). Orr coached the Tigers to five top 20 finishes at the NCAA Championships. In 1989 and 1990, Princeton's 200 medley relay team won the event at NCAA's in American record time.[11] Orr has been described as "part nutty professor [and] part genius"[12] and is also "one of the most beloved."[13] As of 2019, Orr's 330 wins in dual meets make him the swim coach with the third most wins in Division I swimming athletics history.[10]
In service to the swimming community, Orr served on the NCAA Swimming and Diving Committee.[10]
In 2015, Orr was awarded the Richard E. Steadman Award by the College Swimming Coaches Association, a distinction annually given to a coach who has gone the furthest to spread happiness in the sport of swimming and diving. Orr has been the EISL or Ivy League coach of the year six times.[10]
Orr currently resides in Pennington, New Jersey with his wife Benji with whom he has two sons, Braden and Scotty.