Johnny Orr
Johnny Orr, Co-Captain of the undefeated 1944 State Championship Basketball Team, while being honored for his accomplishments on the basketball court, was also a member of the once beaten football team and played first base on the once beaten baseball team. He is also being honored as an outstanding athlete at the University of Illinois and Beloit College, as well as for his accomplishments as a coach at the University of Massachusetts, the University of Michigan and Iowa State University. As a member of the Tornadoes Basketball Team, Orr lead the team and the state in scoring with 673 points in the 45 win season. This school record still stands today. He was selected to the Centralia Tournament All Tournament First Team, scoring a 3 game tournament record 78 points. He was later to be named to The Illinois State Tournament First Team, and the Illinois All-State First Team. At the University of Illinois in 1945, Orr played both football and basketball. He was selected to the All-Big Ten Second Team Football. Squad in the fall and then was an Honorable Mention selection to the All-Big Ten Basketball Team. After spending a year in the Navy, Orr followed his high school coach, Dolph Stanley, to Beloit College. While at Beloit, On earned All- American honors in 1948 and 1949. Following his graduation from college, Orr played a year of professional basketball with the St Louis Bombers and later with the Waterloo Hawks.
High School coaching in Iowa, at Debuques Senior, followed his playing Days. He coached at Debuque from 1951 to 1959. In 1959, Coach On became assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin. A successful three years at Wisconsin provide On the opportunity to get his first head coaching position at the University of Massachusetts. Following three years at U Mass, On chose to enter the insurance business for a year. Being out of basketball had its rewards, but in 1967 he became assistant coach at the University of Michigan. After only one year as assistant, On was named head coach of the Wolverines, a position he held until 1980.
During his tenure as Michigan coach, Orr was twice named Big Ten Coach of the Year and twice named National College Coach of the Year. In 1976, he lead the Wolverines to runner up in the NCAA Tournament.
In 1980, On chose to switch to the Big Eight Conference and was selected as coach for the Iowa State University Cyclones. While at Iowa State, he took the Cyclones to the NCAA five times, raising his NCAA total to nine.
Prior to his retirement after the 1993 season, Orr was selected President of the National Association of Basketball Coaches.