David Orr
Head Coach/CEO
David Orr is Head Coach/CEO of Sunkist Swim Team. Hired in 2010, Coach David rebuilt Sunkist from ranked 7th in the state to 7 straight championships after winning their first championship at short course state in 2014. Coach David has also grown the program from 59 swimmers to over 170. Under his tenure, Sunkist swimmers have achieved 25 national Top Ten age group times with 11 national #1 and broken 274 LSC records. Coach David was honored by his MS Swimming peers as the Age Group Coach of the Year award in 2014. Coach David is certified ASCA Level 5 and an NFHS para-professional.
Under Coach David's creative guidance, Sunkist has won 5 USA Swimming #SwimBiz awards including Marketing Club of the Year honors three years in a row for 2015, 2016 and 2017, as well as 2016 SwimToday Award and 2015 Best Use of Social Media. Coach David currently serves on the Board of Directors of MS Swimming as Age Group Chair and serves as the LSC webmaster.
Coach David grew up swimming and coaching for local legend Carl Butler, who led a dynasty program for decades in Columbus, MS. Coach David also served as head summer coach for Natchez Swim Association, leading the team to its highest finish at state. As an age group swimmer, Coach David broke numerous state records, qualified for JOs and Top 16. His specialties were breaststroke, sprint free and IM.
Coach David held coaching positions throughout college and graduated from Mississippi State University with a BA degree in Communications. Coach David took his creative skills to Los Angeles, where he pursued a career as an actor and an award-winning independent filmmaker—and a Masters swimmer, swimming for the Rose Bowl Masters and competing in the 2006 FINA Masters World Championships. After Worlds, the Orrs moved to Mississippi where Coach David served as an assistant coach with Mississippi Makos Swim Team before accepting head coaching duties with Sunkist. Coach David resides in Madison, MS, with his wife Laura and daughter Emma, former top breaststroker in the state who has graduated and moved on to the high fashion world of modeling.
Coach David believes in creative coaching with a “team first” approach that creates a fun, supportive environment for personal improvement in and out of the pool. Coach David enjoys motivating and empowering his athletes to reach for the stars to achieve their goals in swimming and in life.
