Orlando Donaldson cited family reasons for stepping down as head boys basketball and softball coach for the Calvary Christian Cougars this week.
Donaldson led the boys basketball team for five years and the softball team the last two years. He guided the Cougars to three 20-win seasons. The boys basketball team finished 79-74 and the softball team finished 18-38-1 during his tenure.
“Orlando was a great example or hard work and determination while coaching here at CCS,” said Mark Ross, Calvary Christian Principal and Director of Athletics. “He will be missed greatly by the CCS family.”
The 2021-22 basketball team made the 10th Region All “A” Championship before coming up short against Bracken County and helped multiple players reach the next level and continue their basketball careers.
“They believed in me. They had other qualified candidates for the job,” Donaldson said. “But they entrusted me so I was very appreciative of that. (Ross) and I are still friends. That’s one of the relationships that I’ve built.”
Calvary Christian fell to 4-27 last year after graduating nine seniors from the previous year. The Cougars lost in the 37th District semifinals to Campbell County in four of the five years he was there. In a district where there’s no easy nights, the Cougars were competitive, winning six district games in that time, including Bishop Brossart and Scott twice.
“The guys played hard and they gave it their all. They did what they could while they could,” Donaldson said. “I turned a bunch of soccer players into basketball players for the most part.”
Donaldson said he will be coaching again at some point. He said he has enjoyed the relationships built with the players.
“The former players called me (Wednesday) night and we just talked,” Donaldson said. “We had an Instagram talk about the good times we had. They told me they enjoyed how I’ve made them better men. It was a reflection of the relationships we had.”
Donaldson’s daughter Oreanna ranked among the top hitters in the state as a sophomore and junior winning the Northern Kentucky Division III Player of the honors for softball in 2022. She batted .614 (35-for-57) with 11 home runs, five doubles, 39 runs batted in and scored 22 runs in 2023 and batted .585 (48-for-82) with three home runs, 22 stolen bases, two triples, 22 doubles, 44 RBI and scored 31 runs in 2022. She made the Northern Kentucky Softball Coaches Association Division III First Team in the spring.