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Iowa State to hold public visitation to honor Orr

Sports

January 1st, 2014 by Ric Hanson

AMES, Iowa (AP) – Iowa State will hold a public visitation to honor legendary former basketball coach Johnny Orr, who died Tuesday at age 86.  The doors to Hilton Coliseum in Ames will open at 1 p.m. Thursday for the visitation. The Orr family will be present from 4 p.m. until Hilton closes at 8 p.m.  It is the arena where Orr was known for entering to the “Tonight Show” theme and a trademark fist pump, helping cultivate a tremendous home-court advantage for the Cyclones.

Orr led the Cyclones to a school-record 218 wins from 1980 until 1994. He previously spent 12 years as head coach at Michigan and three at Massachusetts.  The energetic and charismatic Orr finished with a career record of 466-346 and 10 NCAA tournament appearances.