John Michael Orr (June 10, 1927 – December 30, 2013) was an American basketball player and coach, best known as the head coach of men's basketball at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, University of Michigan, and at Iowa State University. In the 1975–76 season, Orr was named National Coach of the Year.

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Johnny Orr

Orr from 1975 Michiganensian
Personal information
Born	(1927-06-10)June 10, 1927
Died	December 30, 2013(2013-12-30) (aged 86) Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
Nationality	American
Listed height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight	195 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High school	Taylorville (Taylorville, Illinois)
College	Illinois (1944–1945) Beloit (1946–1949)
BAA draft	1949: 2nd round, 20th overall pick
Selected by the St. Louis Bombers
Playing career	1949–1950
Position	Forward
Number	12, 9
Coaching career	1951–1994
Career history
As player:
1949–1950	St. Louis Bombers
1950	Waterloo Hawks
As coach:
1951–1959	Dubuque HS
1959–1963	Wisconsin (assistant)
1963–1966	UMass
1967–1968	Michigan (assistant)
1968–1980	Michigan
1980–1994	Iowa State
Career highlights and awards
2× Big Ten regular season champion (1974, 1977) Henry Iba Award (1976) NABC Coach of the Year (1976) 2× Big Ten Coach of the Year (1974, 1977) 100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament (2007)
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com

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Orr was born in Taylorville, Illinois or Yale, Kansas^[1][2][3][4] and grew up in Taylorville during the Great Depression. Orr attended Taylorville High School under coach Dolph Stanley and in his senior year (1944) led the Tornadoes to a state championship and a 45–0 record, the first team to ever finish a season undefeated in the Illinois High School Association's history.^[5] In 2007, Orr was voted one of the "100 Legends of the IHSA Boys Basketball Tournament," recognizing his superior performance in his appearance in the tournament.^[6] After high school Orr went to the University of Illinois and was the youngest freshman to compete in three sports. After joining the United States Navy for the end of World War II, Orr returned to the college game at Beloit College. This reunited him with his high school coach Dolph Stanley, who had come to Beloit College as athletic director, head basketball and football coach.^[4]

Orr was initially drafted in 1948 BAA draft by the Minneapolis Lakers of the Basketball Association of America, the precursor to the NBA. Orr did not play for the Lakers, and was again drafted the next year in the 2nd round by the St. Louis Bombers. In 1950, Orr played 21 games for the Bombers before moving to the Waterloo Hawks for 13 more games.

In 1951, Orr was named as head coach at Dubuque Senior High School in Dubuque, Iowa, holding the position until 1959.^[4] In 1959, Orr joined the collegiate ranks, becoming an assistant coach at Wisconsin.

Orr's Iowa State teams won 76.7% of their games at Hilton Coliseum. Under Orr, attendance numbers more than doubled from the 6,000 fan average that preceded his arrival. The school band would play the theme from The Tonight Show as Orr entered the arena floor before each game and Orr would give a fist pump to the Iowa State crowd. Orr coached Iowa State to 20 victories over teams ranked in the top 25 at Hilton, with writers coining the term “Hilton Magic.” ^[7]

Currently at Hilton Coliseum, Iowa State donors have access to "Johnny's", a sports bar themed space on the east side of Hilton Coliseum. There are multiple flat-screen TVs as well as food served before the game and snacks served at halftime. Alcoholic beverages are served at the bars. A statue of Johnny Orr sits at the entrance along with cases full of memorabilia from his tenure at Iowa State.

Orr died on December 30, 2013, at the age of 86 at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.^[8][9] Orr suffered from complications from a head injury from a fall at home.^[10]

Taylorville High School Hall of Fame (athlete) ^[11]

1969 – Beloit College Hall of Fame (athlete) ^[12]

1973 – National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Hall Of Fame (Athlete) ^[13]

1973 – Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame ^[14]

1973–1974 – Big Ten Coach of the Year^[15]

1975–1976 – National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) National Coach of the Year ^[16]

1992 – Dubuque Senior High School Hall of Fame ^[17]

2001 – Iowa State University Hall of Fame ^[18]

2004 – Des Moines Register Hall of Fame ^[19]

2011 – Statue erected in Hilton Coliseum^[20]

2011– University of Michigan Hall of Honor^[21]

• List of NCAA Division I Men's Final Four appearances by coach