Hall of Honor
"Johnny" Orr came to Beloit with an impressive basketball and football reputation. He led Taylorville High School to 45 consecutive victories in 1943-44, as the team became Illinois’ first undefeated basketball champion. After a year at Illinois, where he won Big Ten honors in both sports, Orr entered the Marine Corps. He rejoined Dolph Stanley, his high school coach, in 1946 and helped trigger Beloit’s rise to national basketball prominence. Named most valuable player three successive years, he was a three-time All Midwest conference and a two-time All NAIB choice. His 1,347 points rank him as Beloit’s second all-time scorer. In addition to excelling in basketball, he won two football letters. Following graduation, Orr played professional basketball with the St. Louis Bombers and Waterloo Hawks. But he soon turned his talents to high school coaching and immediately realized great success. In 1959, former teammate John Erickson appointed him assistant coach at Wisconsin. Four years later, Massachusetts selected him as head basketball coach, and his teams posted a winning record over three seasons. Off left coaching in 1966 to become an insurance executive, but returned a year later as an assistant at Michigan. He was named the Wolverines’ head coach in 1968.
