Donnie Carr, the former La Salle University men’s basketball standout who ranks fifth on the school’s all-time scoring list, has been added to Dr. John Giannini’s staff as an assistant coach, Giannini announced on Tuesday.
A prolific scorer, Carr is one of only six players in school history to eclipse the 2,000-point plateau, registering 2,067 points over his four year career with the Explorers. He was a two-time All-Atlantic 10 selection from 1996-00 and joins the staff with an impressive coaching resume.
“Donnie is a La Salle and Big 5 Hall of Famer who has paid his dues in coaching while getting valuable experience and making great contacts,” Giannini said. “He has assisted at the small college level, the Division I level and the highest levels of high school and AAU competition. Our relationship has grown over the years and he is the perfect person for our staff at this time. Whether it is in mentoring, skill development or recruiting, he will make our players and program better.”
A high school star who compiled 1,470 points at Roman Catholic High School in Philadelphia’s Catholic League, Carr was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year for La Salle in 1996-97. The 6-3 guard averaged 23.9 points per contest that season to pace the league and rank sixth in the country.
Carr led the team in scoring as a sophomore (18.0 ppg) and junior (18.7 ppg), and finished in the A-10’s top four in scoring all four of his seasons. His 19.7 career points per game average is third in A-10 history among players who played in the league for more than one year. The four-time First Team All-Big 5 honoree ranks second in school history with 308 three-pointers and compiled 404 assists to stand ninth in the category.
“I’m blessed, honored and thankful for the opportunity that Coach Giannini has entrusted me with,” Carr said. “I have always supported CoachGiannini and have the utmost respect and admiration for him. To be given an opportunity to learn from him and the other coaches on the staff is priceless.”
Following his outstanding collegiate career, Carr went on to play professionally in Turkey and France before injuries forced him to retire from the game in 2004. He played for Turk Telecom, annually one of the top teams in Turkey, and in France for Becanson in 2001-02.
An active participant the Sonny Hill League, Carr played a vital role in the maturation of a number of Philadelphia’s young basketball stars including Dion Waiters (Miami Heat) and former Explorer Rasual Butler.
Prior to coming to La Salle, Carr spent two seasons at Hartford as the coordinator for player development, assisting in the improvement of players through film and statistical analysis. He has also enjoyed successful stints as an assistant coach with Holy Family University, The Haverford School and at Roman Catholic. In addition, he was the head coach of Philadelphia’s Team Final Under-15 team and served as an assistant on the U-18 squad.
“Since March 8, 2000, when I played my last game at La Salle in the A-10 Tournament, I have always dreamed of one day getting an opportunity to coach at my alma mater,” Carr concluded. “This is a dream come true, and I’m ready to hit the ground running for our program.”
http://goexplorers.com/news/2017/7/6/mens-basketball-adds-donnie-carr-as-assistant-coach.aspx
