Brush with Famous - Johnny Orr

Iowa State basketball coach Johnny Orr.
Des Moines Register photo

Before Iowa State home games the public address announcer used to fire up the crowd with the words, "Here's Johnny!"

The Pep Band played the theme from the Johnny Carson show which is what the announcer mimicked with his words.

After twelve great seasons coaching the Michigan Wolverines where his team finished second to Indiana in the 1976 NCAA tournament, in 1980 he arrived in Ames, Iowa.

The Cyclones hadn't been to the NCAA tournament since the 1940s.  Orr took them there in 1985 and five more times before retiring in 1994.

I met the Coach at a pre-season exhibition game in the fall of 1985 while working at KJJC-FM in Osceola, Iowa.  Because the team made the NCAA tourney earlier that year, our station was excited to get the team on our air since we didn't carry games for either of the big state schools.

Before the game, I interviewed him then asked him to read some "liners" we could use to promote his games.  "Hi, I'm Johnny Orr, listen to Iowa State basketball on KJJC; Don't miss a game. I'm Johnny Orr asking you to listen to the Cyclones on FM 107."

I was 22 when we met.  He was out-going, personable, and a fun interview.  He was generous with his time and willing to help our little station promote his team.  He made a great first impression.

It impressed me.  By this time I was used to being invisible at times with interview subjects, but it was clear that wasn't the case with Coach Orr.  No doubt that's where his good reputation began in treating people right.

In addition, Johnny was known as one of the great characters in college basketball.  There aren't many, if any, like him in the game today.  He died at age 86 in 2013.