Racist graffiti found at home of BGSU basketball coach
10/16/2012
Bowling Green State University head coach Louis Orr.
The Blade/
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Bowling Green State University head coach Louis Orr.
BOWLING GREEN -- Police say racist graffiti scrawled on the sidewalk in front of the home of Bowling Green State University men's basketball coach Louis Orr appears to be "a very isolated incident.”
“I’m considering it to be an act of graffiti and vandalism,” Bowling Green Police Lt. Brad Biller said Monday. “I don’t consider this a widespread problem in our community.”
About 10 a.m. Sunday, Mr. Orr contacted police after finding that vandals had written “white power” and drawn a swastika in chalk on the sidewalk in front of his Pine Valley Drive home in the Stone Ridge Golf Club neighborhood. Lieutenant Biller said the word “white” also was written on the sidewalk with the crack of the sidewalk used for the i.
“We’re seeking the public’s help in identifying the person or persons responsible for these scrawlings on the sidewalk,” he said, adding that it was the first such incident reported at the coach’s home.
Lieutenant Biller said the graffiti “is what we could consider to be intimidating statements and symbols, but there were not any direct threats made. There wasn’t anything that would suggest anyone is in danger of immediate harm.”
Through a BGSU spokesman, Coach Orr declined to comment on the incident.
Mr. Orr is in his sixth season as BGSU’s men’s basketball coach, having compiled a 76-82 record with the Falcons and a career mark of 176-162.
A Cincinnati native, he was a standout basketball player at Syracuse University from 1976-80, earning All-American honors as a senior and leading the Orangemen to a 100-18 record and four NCAA Tournament berths in his time there.
He spent eight seasons in the NBA then spent time as assistant coach at Xavier University in Cincinnati, Providence College and Syracuse. He was named head coach at Siena College in Loudonville, N.Y. in 2000-01 then spent five seasons as coach at Seton Hall University in South Orange, N.J.
Mr. Orr’s son, Chauncey, is a sophomore on the BGSU team this season.
Contact Jennifer Feehan at jfeehan@theblade.com or 419-724-6129.