FanHouse TerryHoeppner

While college football fans across the country await the start of the new season with a drooling fervor there are also some fans who dread it. Why? Because they know their season is already over before it's even started. Oh sure, their boys are still going to go out there every Saturday and play hard for 60 minutes, but it's not going to make a bit of difference.

They're going to lose, and they're going to lose a lot.

No conference can escape from having teams like this, it's just a part of the game. They still serve their purpose because the good teams in the conference need a breather once in a while, and they also need six wins to qualify for a bowl game.

These teams are the conferences dirty little secret. They're the red-headed step child that's told to stay in their room when company comes over. They are the dregs of Big Ten, and they're here to play another set of 12 games whether we want them to or not.

A few hours from now the Indiana Hoosiers will take the field to play Oklahoma State in the Insight Bowl. Depending on where you look, the Hoosiers are currently considered 6.5 or 7 point underdogs against the Cowboys. It doesn't matter though.

Whether the Hoosiers walk away from tonight's game with a victory or loss doesn't take away from a season that can only be considered a success in Bloomington. After all, the last time Indiana played in a bowl game was in 1993 when we were all singing along to Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" and Harrison Ford was still looking for the one-armed man.

Indiana would lose that Independence Bowl to Virginia Tech by a score of 45-20.

In honor of recently deceased Indiana coach Terry Hoeppner who lost his battle with brain cancer today, ESPN Classic is replaying Indiana's biggest victory under its former coach. It's a touching tribute, as it was a thoroughly entertaining game that marked a change in the Indiana program.

The fans knew it at the time, as there was a magical post-game celebration. The college football fans in TV land knew it as well. FanHouse kept tabs that afternoon and celebrated Indiana's big victory.

Sadly, Hoeppner never was able to see his remarkable rebuilding project come to complete fruition. But we do have one of his better coaching jobs on tape, and ESPN is doing the smart thing in dusting that puppy off and showing it to the world.

The Hoosiers defeated the Hawkeyes 31-28 on Saturday, Oct. 14, on the strength of three touchdown passes from Kellen Lewis to James Hardy, with the winning score coming on a 20-yard pass with 9:51 to play. Safety Will Meyers sealed the game with a one-handed interception at the 15-yard line with 2:53 to play.

The victory gave the Hoosiers their first win over a top-15 squad since Oct. 10, 1987, when IU toppled then-No. 9 Ohio State, 31-10. It was Indiana's first win against a ranked opponent since Oct. 30, 2004, when the Hoosiers bested 24th-ranked Minnesota 30-21.

"This is a young team just gaining confidence," Hoeppner said following the win. "Obviously after last week (a win over Illinois), this is even bigger. Our football program is a shooting rocket."

Previously at FanHouse:
Terry Hoeppner: 1947-2007
Hoeppner Will Not Coach Indiana in 2007
Terry Hoeppner's Situation Sounds Ominous

Indiana Head Coach Terry Hoeppner died today of complications from a brain tumor at age 59. Hoeppner had been battling the brain tumor over the past 18 months. He had taken multiple leaves from the team to receive treatment, and it had recently been announced that his latest leave of absence would be the entire 2007 season.

Hoeppner was hired by Indiana in 2005 from Miami (OH). He always had a reputation for being an excellent coach. He was actually succeeding in turning around a football program that had long resided at the bottom of the Big 10 with his coaching and recruiting. All of that seems completely irrelevant to the loss to the Indiana Hoosier and Miami Redhawk communities that remained completely supportive of Coach Hoeppner as he battled the brain tumor.

Terry Hoeppner is survived by his wife, Jane, 3 children and 4 grandchildren.

The entire Fanhouse offers its condolences to the Hoeppner family.

Previously at FanHouse
Hoeppner Will Not Coach Indiana Football in 2007
Terry Hoeppner's Situation Sounds Ominous
Terry Hoeppner May Not Be Back At Indiana
Hoeppner Skipping IU Spring Practice; Cites Health Reasons

Earlier this week the FanHouse's Brian Cook wrote that Indiana coach Terry Hoeppner may not be back at Indiana. The Hoosiers' coach has had two brain surgeries as he battles brain cancer. He recovered from the first surgery but has not been seen around the team or in public since his second surgery.

Indiana's athletic director appears to have lost patience with Hoeppner's situation, taking his frustration and confusion to the public several days ago. Well, now we find out thanks to some Freedom of Information Act digging by the Associated Press that Hoeppner's contract can be voided if doctors consider him "permanently disabled".

The disability provision in Hoeppner's contract, which is similar to language in other coaches' contracts, allows the contract, which runs through June 2012, to be terminated for physical or mental disabilities.

University spokesman Larry MacIntyre said Thursday that Greenspan must initiate the process.

"The employee reports to the athletic director, so it's in the hands of the athletic director," MacIntyre said. "That's where it remains until the athletic director decides what to do."

Hoeppner's obviously chosen to stay quiet about this phase of his recovery, but the way Indiana's folks are talking it sounds as if they feel he's been too quiet.

"The only discussion that's taken place that I've been involved in is that Terry Hoeppner plans on coaching this fall, but that was a while ago," outgoing trustees president Stephen Ferguson said. "Terry, as is his right, has kept all that information to himself."

Just reading between the lines here, it sounds like Indiana's itching to either have their coach return or move on. Their public actions and seemingly cold manner this week are bad signs for Hoeppner. It's important to respect his privacy as he recovers but a public statement or some communication with his employer might have prevented all the chatter this week. Otherwise we're left with one of two impressions: that Indiana's lost patience with him or that he's more ill than we think, neither of which is a positive.

Terry Hoeppner was a badass last year, having brain surgery and returning to the field just a couple weeks later, but a second surgery sidelined him for spring practice and has his athletic director making noises about his absence:

"The bottom line right now is that Hep is not back at work," [IU AD Rick] Greenspan said. "He has been out for a couple of months. Obviously we're concerned, and the longer he is out, the more concerned we get about his return or his ability to return."

That sounds a little heartless for a guy who has brain cancer, especially when the follow-up is about how Indiana's "marketing" is going:

"It affects our marketing strategy in the sense that Terry has been appropriately very well received by not only our fans but people around the state. It doesn't affect our energy, our need, our requirement, our sales desires and all the rest of those kinds of things. But in terms of Terry being able to be out there as he has the last few summers, certainly it impacts us not having his personal presence."

So... Hoeppner may be struggling badly or just unable to return; IU may end up with a new coach this fall. Hopefully, that won't be required.