Orr leads with novel approach to coaching

Every year the men and women's swimming and diving teams typically get together on New Year's Eve to ring in the new year with a light, fun, large group practice — a break from the stress of the peak point in their training.

To ring in the 100th anniversary of Princeton swimming and diving in 2004, men's head coach C. Rob Orr decided to make things interesting. Orr emerged from the locker room wearing nothing but a diaper and a top hat, all while blowing into a cartoon-like horn. As if that wasn't enough, he then turned around to reveal a giant X-ed out H, representing Harvard, painted on his rear.

Orr then proceeded to climb the 10-meter diving platform and boarded a zip line that carried him to the center of the pool where he crashed into series of boxes, all marked with the infamous 'H.' To cap off the moment, there were even choreographed fireworks to go along with the collision.

"As a freshman, I never really understood the rivalry between Princeton and Harvard until I swam them for the first time," junior Michael Ott said. "Later the following month, however, my last workout of 2003 helped me begin to understand how big it was as I watched my coach plan such an elaborate way of welcoming in 2004 and the year Princeton Swimming turned 100."

Princeton University is truly lucky to have a coach like Orr, and no one knows this more than those who swim for him.

Orr began his career at the University of Southern California, where he served as an assistant coach for three years. Following this he came to Princeton to become the head coach of the men's team, a position he has occupied for 26 seasons.

Orr has had a tremendous career with Princeton, becoming the only swimming coach in Princeton history to amass over 200 wins, a result of 11 undefeated conference seasons. He has led the Tigers to first or second place conference finishes in 24 of his 25 seasons and has also helped his swimmers reach the top 20 nationally during five different seasons.

Team achievements aside, Orr has received a number of personal accolades for his coaching excellence over the course of his career as well. He was named the Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League (EISL) Coach of the Year on six different occasions and in 1990 received the Master Coach Award from the College Swimming Coaches Association. Orr also has experience coaching the Olympic and junior national teams.

Perhaps the reason for all of Orr's success as a coach lies in his unique leadership style, something for which he is looked up to by all his swimmers.

One example of his unusual coaching style lies in his use of the famed 'S.' Rather than getting upset with his players when the show up late to practice, Orr simply marks them with a giant black 'S' on various parts of their body.

"Only the biggest slackers get the double 'S' or triple 'S' which is simply additional Ss for being continuously lazy," senior co-captain Will Reinhardt said.

Orr's swimmers appreciate this unique style of coaching, as they have seen the results it can bring and trust that their coach knows best.

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"Rob is the mad scientist of coaching. He knows that swimmers swim the fastest when they are relaxed and having a good time, so he always tries to keep the mood light regardless of the situation," senior co-captain Alan Fishman said.

Indeed, Orr is the very reason most members of the men's team came to swim for Princeton in the first place. When asked what made the difference between Princeton and other top programs, almost every player cites Orr as the decisive factor.

"He keeps the team motivated always with a good balance of serious speeches and funny jokes, jokes that are rarely told correctly but even funnier with all the variations," Reinhardt said. "[Orr] lives what he preaches, and that is why it is easy to swim for him."

Orr has kept Princeton on the path of excellence—just this past weekend the team too first place in the EISL championships. More importantly, however, he led his Tigers past the powerful Crimson squad.

Orr has proven to be one of the most accomplished coaches in all of Princeton athletics, and as time goes on, he is becoming one of the most beloved: it was his swimmers that specifically requested that this article be written in the first place.