IU head football coach Terry Hoeppner died early Tuesday morning due to complications from a brain tumor, team physician Dr. Larry Rink said.
He was 59.
“Coach died due to complications from the brain tumor for which he had been treated surgically and therapeutically over the past 18 months, “ Rink said in a statement. “His family was at his side.”
Hoeppner had been on an extended medical leave of absence extending through the 2007 season, and had been receiving chemotherapy and radiation. The IU Athletics Department held a press conference reinforcing their full confidence in Coach Hoeppner and named assistant head coach Bill Lynch head coach for the 2007 season in Hoeppner’s stead Friday, June 15.
Greenspan said he had been in contact with Hoeppner over the last several weeks, and he said, as Hoeppner was fond of saying, that he didn’t lose, he just ran out of timeouts.
“I’ve seen him several times in the last few days,” Greenspan said, “and had a chance to say a few things to him on Father’s Day on Sunday, and that was good for me. He’s certainly struggled with his health here. ... I think from the medical folks (standpoint) he was doing much better than he had done in several weeks, and obviously he took a rapid turn and he (just) ran out of timeouts.”