Former Iowa State men's basketball assistant coach Jim Hallihan dies

AMES — Jim Hallihan, former Iowa State assistant men's basketball coach, who was a member of Johnny Orr's staff for 12 years, died Friday at age 75.

Hallihan was Orr's top assistant from 1982-94 and was elevated to associate head coach in 1993. During his tenure in Ames, the Cyclone men's hoops program became a national player, earning six NCAA Tournament berths, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 1986.

When Orr was ill or absent, Hallihan took over coaching duties and compiled a 6-1 mark.

Prior to arriving at Iowa State, Hallihan was the head coach at East Tennessee State from 1979-82, registering a 57-53 record. He was also an assistant coach at Virginia Tech from 1971-75.

After Orr's retirement in 1994, Hallihan remained in Ames and served as Iowa Sports Foundation Executive Director for the Iowa Games. During his tenure, the foundation grew from two events and 16,000 athletes to over 20 events and 190,000 participants.