GO RedHawks!
GO RedHawks!
Walker and Hoeppner to be Inducted into Cradle of Coaches Association
 

 
Randy Walker (left) and Terry Hoeppner (right) will be inducted into the Miami University Cradle of Coaches Association on Oct. 4.
 
Randy Walker (left) and Terry Hoeppner (right) will be inducted into the Miami University Cradle of Coaches Association on Oct. 4.
 
 

Aug. 21, 2008

Complete Release in PDF Format Get Acrobat Reader

OXFORD, Ohio--Two Miami University football coaching greats will be inducted into the Miami University Cradle of Coaches Association during the RedHawks' football game against Temple on Oct. 4, 2008. Former head coaches Randy Walker and Terry Hoeppner, represented by their wives Tammy Walker and Jane Hoeppner, will be the 12th class inducted into the Cradle of Coaches Association, upping the number of inductees to 52.

Randy Walker


Walker was a standout tailback for Miami during a run of unprecedented success from 1973-75. During those three seasons, the Red and White posted a combined record of 32-1-1 while winning three straight Mid-American Conference Championships and three consecutive Tangerine Bowls. Walker finished his career with 1,757 rushing yards and was named the team MVP and a second-team all-MAC selection following the 1975 campaign.

After being drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals following his graduation in 1976, Walker continued his involvement with Miami's football program as first a graduate assistant and then running backs coach. Walker followed then-head coach Dick Crum to North Carolina prior to the 1978 season, spending 10 seasons with the Tar Heels and two seasons as running backs coach at Northwestern before returning as Miami's head coach in December of 1989.

In his first season, Walker led a program that had won just two games over the previous two seasons to a 5-5-1 mark, and he only built momentum from there. Behind a crushing ground attack that would create two of the MAC's all-time leading rushers, Walker would compile a record of 59-35-5 over the next nine seasons. In 1998, he led the RedHawks to an upset of No. 12 North Carolina in the season opener as Miami went on to compile an impressive 10-1 mark. His nine seasons at the helm of the program are the most in the modern era and second only to Frank Winton, who coached for 10 seasons from 1932-1941.

Walker was named head coach at Northwestern in January 1999, leaving as the winningest head coach in Miami history with 59 wins and a .621 winning percentage. He spent seven seasons guiding the Northwestern program until passing away on June 29, 2006. Walker led the Wildcats to a record of 37-46 over seven years, while becoming the first head coach in program history to lead the program to three bowl games.

Terry Hoeppner


Hoeppner was part of the Miami football program for 19 seasons, including six as the head coach from 1999-2004. His 19-year stint marks the longest of any coach in program history. As head coach of the RedHawks, Hoeppner led Miami to a pair of Mid-American Conference East Division titles and back-to-back bowl games (2003-04) for the first time in 30 years. His finest season was 2003 when Miami finished 13-1 overall and 8-0 in the MAC and won the program's first MAC title since 1986. After a season-opening loss to Iowa, Hoeppner led the RedHawks to a program-record 13 straight wins, which culminated with a 49-28 victory over Louisville in the GMAC Bowl.

In his six seasons as a head coach in Oxford, Hoeppner posted six straight winning seasons, including five seasons with seven or more wins, and finished among the top three in the MAC East for the duration of his tenure. Hoeppner finished his Miami head coaching stint ranked second in career victories (48), fourth in career games (73) and 10th in career winning percentage (.658). Hoeppner mentored seven NFL draft picks while at Miami, most notably 2004 NFL Rookie of the Year and Super Bowl XL Champion Ben Roethlisberger.

Prior to assuming head coaching duties at Miami, Hoeppner spent 13 seasons as an assistant coach under Tim Rose and Randy Walker. He served in many capacities as an assistant coach, including assistant head coach/defensive backs coach (1993-95) and assistant head coach/defensive coordinator (1995-98), while overseeing a stingy defense that traditionally ranked among the best in the nation.

During his coaching career, including his time as an assistant, Miami upset four nationally-ranked teams on the road and earned a total of 12 wins over BCS conference schools.

Hoeppner was named the head football coach at Indiana on Dec. 17, 2004, becoming the third former Miami coach, along with John Pont and Bill Mallory, to patrol the Indiana sidelines. He spent two seasons guiding the Hoosiers, re-energizing the Indiana program before his passing on June 19, 2007.

The Cradle of Coaches Association was established in 1971 to acknowledge the role Miamians have played in establishing Miami University as the Cradle of Coaches. While all Miami Alumni who go on to coach or those who have coached at Miami are considered part of the Cradle of Coaches, the Cradle of Coaches Association began inducting individuals into the Association in 1992 to further recognize their accomplishments. In 1999 and 2000, Miami's Hall of Fame Committee further developed criteria for induction into the Cradle of Coaches Association to be more inclusive of all sports. The following is the list of inductees:

1992
Weeb Ewbank
Bob Kurz
Bill Narduzzi
John Pont

1993 Paul Brown Mel Knowlton Ara Parseghian

1994 Bill Arnsparger Paul Dietzel Jack Llewellyn

1995 Jack Faulkner Joe Codiano Bill Mallory

1996 John Brickels Hal Paul Dick Shrider

1997 Jerry Hanlon John McVay Frank Shands

1998 Carmen Cozza Marvin Morehead Ernie Plank

2001 Dick Crum Darrell Hedric Lou Kaczmarek Rich Voiers Walter Alston Earl Blaik Leann Davidge Woody Hayes Raymond Ray George Rider William Rohr

2002 Peggy Bradley- Doppes Denny Marcin Marvin McCollum Nick Mourouzis Jim Rose Ron Zook

2004 Rodger Cromer Carol Clark Johnson Clarence McDade Ron Niekamp Bo Schembechler

2006 George Dales George Gwozdecky Danny Hall Bob Kappes Dr. Stephen R. Strome Randall Whitehead

2008 Terry Hoeppner Randy Walker

Randy Walker


THE WALKER FILE

•	Served as head coach at Miami for nine seasons from 1990-98, the
	second longest head coaching tenure in program history and the
	longest during the modern era.
•	Is Miami's all-time winningest coach with a 59-35-5 record and a
	.621 winning percentage. His 59 wins are a program-best and his
	99 games coached also are the most in program history.
•	Guided Miami to five of the program's "major" victories, including
	wins over No. 25 Northwestern in 1995, No. 12 Virginia Tech in 1997
	and No. 12 North Carolina in 1998.
•	Started his coaching career at Miami as a graduate assistant in
	1976 and then a full-time assistant in 1977.
•	Tabbed the 2000 Dave McClain Big Ten Coach of the Year and the
	Region 3 Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches
	Association (AFCA) after leading the Northwestern to a share of
	the Big Ten title.
•	First head coach in Northwestern football history to lead the
	Wildcats to three bowl games (2005 Sun Bowl; 2003 Motor City
	Bowl; 2000 Alamo Bowl) and also to own victories over all 10 Big
	Ten Conference foes.
•	Inducted into the Miami University Athletics Hall of Fame in 1992.

WALKER'S HEAD COACHING RECORD AT MIAMI 1990 - 5-5-1, 4-3-1 MAC (5th) 1991 - 6-4-1, 4-3-1 MAC (t-3rd) 1992 - 6-4-1, 5-3 MAC (t-3rd) 1993 - 4-7, 3-6 MAC (9th) 1994 - 6-4-1, 5-3 MAC (t-3rd) 1995 - 8-2-1, 6-1-1 MAC (2nd) 1996 - 6-5, 6-2 MAC (t-2nd) 1997 - 8-3, 6-2 MAC (t-2nd East) 1998 - 10-1, 7-1 MAC (t-1st East)

WALKER'S COACHING CAREER 1976 - Miami University Graduate Assistant (Running Backs) 1977 - Miami University Running Backs Coach 1978-84 - University of North Carolina RB and QB Coach 1986-87 - University of North Carolina Offensive Coordinator 1988-89 - Northwestern University Running Backs Coach 1990-98 - Miami University Head Coach 1999-05 - Northwestern University Head Coach

Terry Hoeppner


THE HOEPPNER FILE

•	Spent 19 seasons as an assistant and head coach at Miami, 			University which are the most of any coach in program history.
•	Served as head coach at Miami for six seasons from 1999-2004
•	Posted career record of 48-25 as a head coach at Miami, including
	six straight winning seasons and six consecutive top-three MAC
	East Division finishes.
•	Mentored seven NFL draft picks at Miami, including Super Bowl XL
	Champion Ben Roethlisberger.
•	Finished his Miami head coaching stint ranked second in career
	victories (48), fourth in career games (73) and 	10th in career
	winning percentage (.658).
•	His finest season was 2003 when he led Miami to a 13-1 overall
	mark, including 8-0 in the MAC. Miami also won its first MAC title
	since 1986, finished the season with a program-record 13 straight
	wins and was ranked 10th in the final Associated Press poll.
•	Tabbed 2003 MAC Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the Paul
	"Bear" Bryant National Coach of the Year Award in 2003.
•	One of three former Miami coaches to be named head football
	coach at Indiana, joining John Pont and Bill Mallory.

HOEPPNER'S HEAD COACHING RECORD AT MIAMI 1999 - 7-4, 6-2 MAC (2nd East) 2000 - 6-5, 5-3 MAC (t-3rd East) 2001 - 7-5, 6-2 MAC (t-2nd East) 2002 - 7-5, 5-3 MAC (3rd East) 2003 - 13-1, 8-0 MAC (1st) - MAC Champions, GMAC Bowl Champions 2004 - 8-5, 7-1 MAC (1st East) - MAC East Division Champions, Independence Bowl

HOEPPNER'S COACHING CAREER 1970-72 - Eastbrook High School (Ind.) Head Coach 1974 - Pinson Valley High School (Ala.) Assistant Coach 1975 - Hueytown High School (Ala.) Assistant Coach 1976-79 - Mullins High School (S.C.) Head Coach 1980-85 - Franklin College Defensive Coordinator 1986 - Miami University Linebackers Coach 1987-93 - Miami University Defensive Backs Coach 1993-95 - Miami University Asst. Head Coach/DB Coach 1995-98 - Miami University Asst. Head Coach/Def. Coordinator 1999-04 - Miami University Head Coach 2005-06 - Indiana University Head Coach

  
GO RedHawks!
Countdown
 
Dys
 
Hrs
 
Min
 
Sec

promotions
Game Day Promotions
traditions
Traditions
facilities
Facilities
Miami IMG Sports Network
ISP
culture of champions
Champions
miami university
Miami
all-time varsity letterwinners
Letterwinners
RedHawk Destination Guide
Visitors Guide