DaytonDailyNews.com

Terry Hoeppner might be the best salesman in this country who also happens to be a college football coach.

That's one of the reasons Indiana University hired Hoeppner away from Miami University in December 2004, because the IU job isn't just about coaching football, it's about convincing people to come to Bloomington and into the gates no matter how badly you're getting whipped.

We learned Friday that Hoeppner will miss the 2007 football season after he "suffered a cancer-related setback that forced him back to the hospital," according to the Indianapolis Star. Assistant coach Bill Lynch will take over for this season.

What the Hoosiers likely will miss with Hoeppner gone is the ability to sell fans around the state on the program. Recruiting is another thing, with several other major Division I programs within close range.

What Hoeppner always understood — perhaps because of his smaller-school background and his years as the head coach at Miami — is that you need to speak at every PTA meeting, every church group and every basement poker game in the state to let the people know they should be excited about IU football.

The trick is to get people who are tailgating to come into the stadium, which isn't an easy thing to do in Bloomington. With Hoeppner gone, the Hoosiers will miss that salesmanship. They'll also miss a heck of a football coach.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7389

or knagel@DaytonDailyNews.com

.