Remembering Coach Hep

This past week, Miami University lost its 3rd member of the Cradle of Coaches in the last 12 months. Randy Walker, Bo Schembechler, and now Terry Hoeppner, who was the head coach while I was a student at Miami. In terms of football, Coach Hep will probably be most remembered for recruiting Ben Roethlisberger to Miami which led to the 2003 MAC Championship and tons of national recognition.

After leading Miami to the 2004 MAC East Championship, Coach Hep left for the only job he wanted besides the Miami job, Indiana as Coach Hep was a native Hoosier. Coach Hep put everything and more into the IU job, building fan, specifically student support, and improving facilities. Last year, Indiana was 1 win away from going to a bowl game, the closest they've been in awhile. Coming into this year, it seemed like this would be the year. But Coach hadn't been seen in public since February, and everyone feared his health had taken a turn for the worst. Just after it was announced that Coach Hep would remain on a medical leave of absence for this year, he was rushed back to the hospital not even 24 hours after he had been released after fighting pneumonia. Surviving longer that weekend than the doctors thought, he passed early Tuesday.

I never played football, but Coach Hep will always be my football coach. My HawkHead role allowed me to meet Coach Hep on a few occasions, and though he never remembered me specifically each time, I could tell he truly appreciated our efforts in building school spirit at Miami. After a conversation with Coach Hep, if you weren't excited or passionate, you weren't alive. At football games, you fed off of Coach's energy. His intensity and excitement rubbed off on you. IU students, in response to Coach's "wanting you" to come to games, wore shirts that said "Coach Hep Got Me". The perennial basketball school broke ground the day Coach Hep died on a new football facility because that's what Coach would've wanted.

I didn't really know Coach Hep well, but I feel especially bad because he gave me some of my greatest college memories, yet I did basically nothing in return. I got a few students to come to football games; he gave me memories I will absolutely never forget. It doesn't seem fair. But I think Coach Hep enjoyed sharing his passion, excitement, and intensity with others and seeing it rub off on others. I think he felt like if he could get people to be passionate about what they were doing after seeing how Coach Hep was passionate about Miami, Indiana, or football in general, then he accomplished something.

Coach, thank you for the memories. You are in my prayers along with your family and the Miami and IU communities. Go Redhawks and Go Hoosiers.