Rylee Orr took the reins of the Lawrence University men's hockey team in September 2024.
Orr is the 10th head coach in Lawrence history and came to Lawrence from Northern Collegiate Hockey Association rival Marian University.
Orr served as the assistant coach at Marian for two seasons.
"I am excited and honored," Orr said. "My wife, Heidi, and I love the city of Appleton and are pumped to make the move and be part of the community."
A native of Maple Creek, Saskatchewan, Orr brings head coaching experience to the Lawrence program. For five seasons, he served as the head coach of the American Collegiate Hockey Association team at the University of Oregon. Under Orr's guidance, the Ducks won three Pac 8 Conference championships and posted an overall record of 77-21-5.
In two seasons at Marian, Orr put together some of the best special teams in the NCHA. Both the power play and penalty kill excelled under Orr's guidance, and both units ranked in the top three in the league during the past season. The Sabres reached the NCHA Harris Cup playoffs in each of Orr's two seasons.
A 2017 graduate of Utah State University with a bachelor's degree in human movement science, Orr was a standout player for the Aggies' ACHA team. Orr led the team in points in two of his four seasons and helped them qualify for the ACHA national tournament three times. Orr led his team to the conference championship as a senior and earned the team's Most Valuable Player award.
As a young player, Orr competed in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League and was a standout for the Golden (British Columbia) Rockets. Following his graduation from Utah State, Orr also played professionally for EHC Neuwied in Germany.
Orr and his wife, Heidi, have a daughter, Vienna.
