Strannigan’s teams won 61% of their games and ISU earned its first-ever national ranking and won its first post-season league title (1955) under his direction
The personable Strannigan was considered a “public relations genius” and quickly turned around the fortunes and reputation of the Cyclones
Coached All-American Gary Thompson and John Crawford, the first African-American basketball player in school history
In arguably the greatest win in school history, Strannigan led the Cyclones to a 39-37 win over Wilt Chamberlain and top-ranked Kansas on a last-second shot
Returned to his alma mater (Wyoming) as head coach after a five-year tenure in Ames