IU Coach Hoeppner passes away
It was just Friday that R wrote about IU football coach Terry Hoeppner’s sad situation. Now, just a few days after the announcement that Hoeppner’s good friend Bill Lynch was taking over the program, Hoeppner has passed away.
There are no details on the cause yet (UPDATE: here’s a fuller story), but it’s very likely related to Coach Hep’s ongoing struggle with the removal of a brain tumor. Hoeppner was back on the field coaching just a few months after having a brain tumor removed, but the complications never really ceased, and seem to have finally caught up with Hep.
As most IU fans will, I will remember Hoeppner as the unceasingly optimistic, friendly, and caring coach he was. He was impressive from his very first spring practice, not just for his intense desire to rescue IU football (a soul-crushing task for any unyielding optimist) but for his total willingness to engage with students and fans on a regular, normal level. (Not to mention treat a rather intimidated, clueless student reporter exceedingly well.) He had the promotional spirit of P.T. Barnum and a solid football acumen to boot. Hoeppner was the perfect hire for IU football, and after his relative success last year — after IU upset Iowa, he called the program “a shooting rocket” — it is likely he would have finished his career in Bloomington, finishing his life’s work at his dream job.
Instead, every time we see one of those old “Coach Hep Got Me” shirts, or the billboards once plastered across the state with Hoeppner posed as Uncle Sam (his red, white, and blue replaced with cream and crimsom), pointing “Coach Hep Wants You,” IU fans will be left with the sad reminder of a bright future lost. Today was a scheduled groundbreaking for IU’s new facilities upgrade, including a renovation to Memorial Stadium designed to assist in getting the sort of atmosphere Hoeppner so desperately craved. Without Hep around, concrete will still go up, but it will seem a little less sturdy, a little less spirited, if concrete can indeed have spirit.
Coach Hep still wants us, and we still want him. Rest in peace, Coach.
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Postman E,
I don’t think you could have written that any better. Coach Hep was an incredible coach. Even though I am from U of Iowa. Watching him beat us and seeing IU poor on to the field was awesome. It is passion like that which makes college football the greatest sport on earth. From what I read about and saw, the passion ran deep in coach Hep.
However, to say “IU fans will be left with the sad reminder of a bright future lost”, is a knock on coach Hep. It is as if you are saying nothing of his will be carried on. You don’t understand the impression a coach leaves on his players. IU is gonna be a very strong team this year. The passing of their coach is only gonna add fuel to the fire. I look forward to seeing what IU does this year.
Our prayers are with him, his family and all Hoosiers today.
Tsunami:
I certainly didn’t mean to make a knock on Coach Hep; far from it. I simply felt, and feel, like a decent portion of momentum for the program was lost with his passing this morning. But that’s certainly not the most important thing — life is bigger than football.
In any case, thanks for the comment, buddy.
E,
Well said. While a student at Miami U, I worked for their athletic media relations during Coach Hep’s last couple of years there. Your depiction of him couldn’t be more accurate. The fact that he took a school like Miami to the #10 BCS ranking a few years ago shows you what his spirit and optimism could do for a program. Prayers and condolences, of course, go out to his family and the whole IU nation.
very nice retrospective. As a Miami student, I have many memories of Hep and 2003 was certianly an incredible year to be a RedHawk. thoughts and prayers.
RIP ball coach. Gone too soon.
Wow, it seems like just a couple of weeks ago when I was down at IU for the Iowa game. Although the stands weren’t full, it was a great improvement from when I was there as a freshman just three years ago. I wasn’t there for his famous halftime talk at the basketball game, but I’ve heard it was indeed something special. It got students at a basketball school excited for the next football season.
Hopefully they don’t lose too much momentum with his passing because they were well on their way to making a bowl run the next couple of years.
RIP Coach. You will be missed.
Postman E,
I know, I didn’t mean to read it negatively. I apologize!
God bless Coach Hep and his family. He was clearly a great coach and a great man.
Such a sad day.
RIP Coach Hep.
Hey everyone: My brother just called me and told me they are replaying the Iowa/IU football game from this past fall on ESPN Classic tonight at 5pm EST. I suggest watching or taping it if you have the Classic.
My senior year witnessed Hep’s win over Iowa. I must say that hearing a week or so ago that he was to be replaced was a bad omen both for his health and for IU Football. At the end of what was ultimately a disappointing season, there was a new found determination that next year WOULD be better…if only coach Hep told us so. It will be a testament to his life and his one year as a coach if IU Football can exceed last year’s performance. A .500 season or better would solidify coach Hep’s effect on the IU Football program. He will be extremely missed in Bloomington and throughout the Big 10
heps pet project was that enclosing of memorial stadium, it was through his efforts that those athletic facilities are now a reality, in his honor i think they should be named after him, and maybe start the fan section in the new seats. he was an infectious man and he will be missed.
I got coach hep, thoughts and prayers
Great and touching eulogy. Having no exposure to IU football (I get my own share of pain from Syracuse’s declining fortunes) I wasn’t aware of Coach Hoeppner until the articles a few days ago when Lynch took over. Sounds like a genuinely inspiring guy who passed away too soon. What a loss. Thanks for adding your perspective on him.