After tragic losses, 2 Big Ten teams strive to fill the void left by their beloved head coaches

Although the saying goes that death is a part of life, both IU and Northwestern had to deal with two losses too soon.\nOn June 29 of last year, then-Northwestern recruiting coordinator and linebackers coach Pat Fitzgerald received a phone call that head coach Randy Walker – his close friend and mentor – had passed away from a heart attack.\n“Obviously your emotions and your thoughts go out to the family,” Fitzgerald said. “And then we wanted to get in touch with our players as quickly as we possibly could when we found out what had happened with Coach. You just have a heavy heart.”\nJust more than one year later, on June 19, 2007, then-IU assistant head coach and offensive coordinator Bill Lynch received a similar phone call telling him that IU coach Terry Hoeppner died after battling a brain tumor.\nBoth Hoeppner and Walker had been friends after working together at Miami University of Ohio, where Walker had been head coach when Hoeppner served as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator. The two spent nine seasons on the same coaching staff, Hoeppner eventually succeeding Walker as the Miami head coach when Walker left for Northwestern.\nPrior to Walker’s death, Fitzgerald was told by his late mentor that he would eventually be the head coach at Northwestern, Fitzgerald’s alma mater. But at age 31, he received the job offer a few years earlier than he thought, making him the youngest head coach in Division I-A football. Fitzgerald said he believes the most important thing he could do with his players at that time was to communicate with the team to make sure they were doing well mentally.\n“Part of being a head coach is being a mentor, a teacher, a friend and someone that’s there for their players at all times,” Fitzgerald said. “But I don’t think there’s anything you can do to prepare them – except be there for them – and we really stressed communication. We did everything we could to communicate with our players and be there for them.”\nLynch, who assumed head coaching duties during IU’s spring practice last March when Hoeppner took a leave of absence, agreed with Fitzgerald, and said communication with his team was important after the passing of Hoeppner. Lynch said he and Fitzgerald had a chance to talk over the summer about the importance of keeping an open dialogue with players in times like these.\nAt Big Ten Media Day, Lynch said he would have a hard time speculating about how his players were doing emotionally because of the limited contact he had with the team over the summer. Still, he said he believes that, in the coming weeks, they will be mentally ready for the start of the season.\n“I think there’s a maturity to this group,” Lynch said at Media Day. “But at some point in there, the kids probably came to the realization he might not be coaching any more, but that’s a far cry from the reality of passing away.”\nLynch urged his players to follow the example Hoeppner set as an inspiration on and off the field, junior wide receiver James Hardy said.\n“He’s just telling us that coach Hep is always going to be with us, and he’s still here today with us,” senior cornerback Tracy Porter said at Media Day. “You know, just to go out as if he were there and play every game like it was your last, play every play as hard as you can.” \nThis season will be a test once again for Northwestern, as well as for IU. The Wildcats will have to overcome a disappointing 4-8 regular season and show improvement under Fitzgerald. IU, likewise, will look to qualify for its first bowl in 14 years after coming close last season with a 5-7 overall record.\nAfter talking with Lynch, Fitzgerald is confident the Hoosiers will be in the right frame of mind come the start of the season.\n“With all the things that coach Lynch has in place, there’s not a better man to take over the charge there in Bloomington,” Fitzgerald said.