IN DEPTH with Coach Hep

They're worn around the world, sometimes out of necessity, other times as a fashion statement, but there is no doubt they carry significance.\nThey have names, addresses and some are even studded with jewels. Dog tags, a term that originated during the World War II era, will be one of the many new changes that new IU football coach Terry Hoeppner plans to bring to the Hoosier football program.\n"(The dog tags) are something that the team at Miami (University of Ohio) wore last year, in part to honor the military. Not pretending that football is anything like war, but there are a lot of analogies that can be drawn between military strategy and football."\nW.I.N.: "What's Important Now." That was the operating code on the dog tags from his team last year, and it will be an important theme for Hoeppner and the rest of the program as they try to tackle the problems that have been plaguing the Hoosiers for years.\nHoeppner will unveil some of his plans as he talks with IU students 8 p.m. tonight at Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union. The event is free and open to all.\nWinning, something that IU hasn't experienced much of the last few seasons, will be one of the important tasks for Hoeppner to try and solve. The Hoosiers have won only 13 games since the start of the 2001 season. 2001 also marked the last time IU flirted with going to a bowl game. \nSomething Hoeppner said he learned long ago was to win six. Six wins would guarantee a much-sought bowl bid for the Hoosiers.\n"You got short-term, intermediate and long-term goals. In terms of winning, one of the short-term goals this season is to win six," the Woodburn, Ind. native said. "We want to win at home and take care of business in our house, and use the momentum that we've been able to generate up to this point."\nAs vital as his February recruits are, regaining the support of a disinterested student population as well as an alumni base of 464,000 will be some of the most important recruits for Hoeppner.\n"It is hard to quantify. It is of the utmost importance. The equation won't be complete without the students," Hoeppner said. "Winning won't be as much fun without the students to help celebrate. I hope they appreciate how important I think they are."\nThere are a variety of efforts set in place to encourage student involvement on game days and players out in the community.\nOne tradition that Hoeppner established at Miami University of Ohio and will establish at IU is "The Walk." Currently there is not an official name for this walk, but players will be dropped off two hours before the game and walk through the tailgate area to encourage fans to leave the tailgating grounds and go across the street to Memorial Stadium.\nAnother tradition that will start is the singing of the school fight song after home victories. The team will go in front of the Crimson Crew, the student section, and sing the fight song. It's something Hoeppner hopes can be done many times in the years to come.\nIn addition to getting students to fill the seats, just having people attend the game is an issue that Hoeppner is facing with growing optimism. For the season, IU averaged only 28,377 in the 52,180-seat stadium.\nHis optimism is due to an increased number of season tickets ordered through the winter months, something he's contributed to.\n"I know I buy my season tickets. I say that jokingly, but I buy season tickets. If I am going to ask people to buy season tickets, I (am going to) do it," Hoeppner said. "As part of my package I get tickets, but I buy season tickets. I give them to family or other people, but we're going to have somebody sitting in those seats."\nAs alumni and fans cautiously await a winner, Hoeppner is hoping to wake up the echoes of IU's past. Even though he has only been on the job a few months, he's already talked with recent Hoosier greats, including Antwaan Randle-El and Kansas City quarterback Trent Green. Hoeppner doesn't want to limit his open-door policy to just star players and members from bowl teams, he also would like players that have succeeded in other walks of life. \nMost recently, at spring practice Thursday, 10 former Hoosiers watched and shared a few words with the team. Of those 10, seven were members of IU's only Rose Bowl team. Having those members there was only fitting for the words of the day: Rose Bowl. The "word (or words) of the day" is another tradition Hoeppner is starting before each practice. \nGetting help from many constituents to serve the football program hasn't been a problem, even though Hoeppner has more help than he can use.\nOne person who he's been given plenty of help from is University President Adam Herbert. \nHoeppner cited Herbert as a reason recruits came away from their official visits impressed with the program. Herbert has even lifted weights and watched videotapes with the coaching staff.\nHaving the full support from all parts of the University will be a factor in turning the program around, Hoeppner said.\nHe also knows about the effect a winning program can have on the rest of the athletics department, he said.\n"Rick (Greenspan) said it best; he thinks that we should be the heart of the athletics department. Basketball is part of our DNA, it's our soul, so if we're the heart and basketball is the soul we got to be successful for the rest of the athletics department and it will have a positive effect on the University. When football -- not if, but when -- football becomes successful as is measured by wins on the field, support from the students and the alumni base (will have a ripple effect on admissions and marketing)." \nBut "what's important now?" \nFrom the look of things, everything is important now. Hoeppner doesn't plan on waiting around for a winner; he is expecting 100 percent graduation rates and the players to be champions in all walks of life.\nTradition, the winning and the dog tags, are part of a plan to infuse a program that has a tradition of losing more than winning. That's something Hoeppner is planning to change right away.\nAs part of the recruiting process, Hoeppner showed the recruits his Fossil Independence Bowl watch, a reward for getting Miami to the bowl game. If W.I.N. translates to wins, then he will be living out an unanticipated dream.\n"I would say it's a dream come true, but I don't know that I actually allowed myself to dream it, so it's probably beyond that," Hoeppner said. "I'm excited to be here and look forward to going to a bowl game with the Hoosiers."\n-- Contact Staff Writer Dan Click at daaclick@indiana.edu.