Former Iowa State coach Johnny Orr will return to Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday night when the Cyclones host third ranked Kansas in Big-12 action. Orr coached the Cyclones from 1980-1994.
Cyclone coach Fred Hoiberg who played on Orr’s final Iowa State team says they will open up “Johnny’s” sports bar at Hilton Coliseum. The bar contains memorabilia from Orr’s days as the Cyclone coach.
Orr turned the I.S.U. program around and led the Cyclones to six NCAA Tournaments. “You know I’ve said it, he’s the most important figure in Iowa State sports history, and I truly believe that,” Hoiberg says. Hoiberg has implemented the same up tempo style that Orr’s teams employed.
Hoiberg says playing for and watching Orr’s teams, he learned that running and getting up and down the floor is what creates “Hilton Magic” and gets fans to the games, and that’s the type of game he wants to play as long as he is the coach at Iowa State.