Indiana University Athletics
Father-Son Duo
3/24/2005 12:00:00 AM | Football
Bloomington, Ind. - A typical father-son outing might include a day at the stadium with a couple sodas, a few hot dogs and a game program to go along with all the gridiron action. For Indiana football offensive coordinator Bill Lynch and his son, IU wide receivers coach Billy Lynch, an outing has turned into a day full of coaches meetings, practice preparation, watching recruiting videos and scouting future opponents.
While Bill and Billy Lynch are each in their first year under new head coach Terry Hoeppner, they are not unfamiliar with Bloomington. Bill Lynch was an assistant to Bill Mallory in 1993-94. Furthermore, the Hoosier football program is well-acquainted with father-son coaching combinations. Doug Mallory was an assistant to his father from 1994-96, and Doug,. Mike and Curt Mallory each served as a graduate assistant to their father during his 13-year tenure at the helm of the Indiana program.
"It is definitely a unique situation that we have here," said father Bill Lynch. "It is probably more common for a dad to be a head coach and his son to be one of his assistants, but here, we are both assistants on the same staff. There were definitely times when I was a head coach that I would envision and think about Billy or one of his brothers working on my staff, so I know this is a real special opportunity."
Even more incredible is the hiring process that brought both coaches to Bloomington. Billy came over with head coach Terry Hoeppner from Miami (Ohio) in late December, where he served as an offensive graduate assistant coach for two years before landing his first full-time stint as the RedHawks' tight ends coach in 2004. Bill was hired as the offensive coordinator on January 31, more than a month after his son was already here. The hire came as a surprise to both coaches.
"It was pretty late in the process that I thought he would be hired because I never thought he would leave DePauw," said Billy. "It was in the middle of recruiting that the offensive coordinator interviews were going on, and I remember Coach Hep telling me that he had one big recruit to go get. He was talking about my dad."
"I have known Coach Hoeppner for a long time, either coaching against him or working in camps and clinics with him, so we knew each other extremely well," said Bill. "I got to know his staff a lot and got close with them the last three years at Miami (Ohio) with Billy being there. I wasn't expecting to get offered the position, but when it did happen, I know that we were both excited for this opportunity."
Some coaches might hesitate to have a father and son on his staff, but Hoeppner's biggest question mark came with how Billy would feel about the situation. Knowing that both coaches would be a great addition to the staff, he first wanted to make sure the comfort level with Billy was smooth.
"My reservations at first were really just about how Billy would feel about it," said Hoeppner. "I knew Bill was a great football coach and I talked to Billy about it and he was excited. That really made my decision that much easier. I feel as though we have a very close staff and having both those guys on it just added to that."
This is not the first time that Bill and Billy have been on the same team. Bill was the head coach at Ball State for seven years (1995-02). Billy followed his dad to BSU, where he was a three-year letterwinner in football and basketball between 1998-02. He led the Cardinals in receptions his senior year with 40 catches.
Both coaches do not believe in hiding their father-son relationship. There is no formal title that they use in the office or on the field. Billy believes that his four-year experience playing for his dad prepared him for the challenge of working on the same staff with his father.
"Around the staff, I address him as dad and he addresses me as Billy. Around the players, I will say dad or coach, but we don't have any strict rules that we follow as to what we should call each other. We have been through this before with him coaching me at Ball State, so we know how to deal with it."
With father Bill the offensive coordinator and his son in charge of the wide receivers, one might think that some differences in opinion about practices, drills, plays and recruiting occur. Some people also might think that both of them just talk to each other about ideas and strategies, but both coaches ensure that they are all part of the same offensive philosophy headed by Coach Hoeppner.
"That is what makes this kind of special is that having played for my dad and working with Coach Hep the last few years, I already know what type of offense we are running," said Billy. "It has made things a lot easier since we all have the same philosophies on the offensive side of the ball."
"This staff, we all have at different times, worked together or spent time together," said Bill. "Everyone shares the same philosophy as a staff, and that all comes from Coach Hoeppner. We all share ideas as a staff, rather than just say I am just sharing ideas and plans with Billy and he is doing the same with me."
Any coach is obviously in a position of respect. For Billy, he has grown up around a coach's lifestyle his whole life. Asked if he finds himself imitating his dad's words or actions as a coach, Billy says it's not just his dad that he thinks about, it's all the coaches he has been around.
"Any coach that you play for or coach with, you catch yourself saying things that they have said. I see myself doing that now, not only with things my dad told me, but some things that, for instance, my basketball coach in college told me. "
Growing up with his dad being a coach, Billy himself now has aspirations of eventually moving up to a head coaching job. Father Bill knows that the path to getting a head job is difficult, but Billy is on the right road.
"I could tell when he was at Ball State that he wanted to be a coach. He was lucky enough to get on a great staff at Miami (Ohio) and prove what he could do. I think that going there as a graduate assistant, rather than say be a GA at Ball State, was great for him. He got exposed to other coaches and some other philosophies that will only help him down the road."
The spring season will come to an end on Friday, April 15, with the annual Cream and Crimson Spring Game. The spring finale is set for 7 p.m., at Memorial Stadium. Admission is free to all Hoosier fans.
While Bill and Billy Lynch are each in their first year under new head coach Terry Hoeppner, they are not unfamiliar with Bloomington. Bill Lynch was an assistant to Bill Mallory in 1993-94. Furthermore, the Hoosier football program is well-acquainted with father-son coaching combinations. Doug Mallory was an assistant to his father from 1994-96, and Doug,. Mike and Curt Mallory each served as a graduate assistant to their father during his 13-year tenure at the helm of the Indiana program.
"It is definitely a unique situation that we have here," said father Bill Lynch. "It is probably more common for a dad to be a head coach and his son to be one of his assistants, but here, we are both assistants on the same staff. There were definitely times when I was a head coach that I would envision and think about Billy or one of his brothers working on my staff, so I know this is a real special opportunity."
Even more incredible is the hiring process that brought both coaches to Bloomington. Billy came over with head coach Terry Hoeppner from Miami (Ohio) in late December, where he served as an offensive graduate assistant coach for two years before landing his first full-time stint as the RedHawks' tight ends coach in 2004. Bill was hired as the offensive coordinator on January 31, more than a month after his son was already here. The hire came as a surprise to both coaches.
"It was pretty late in the process that I thought he would be hired because I never thought he would leave DePauw," said Billy. "It was in the middle of recruiting that the offensive coordinator interviews were going on, and I remember Coach Hep telling me that he had one big recruit to go get. He was talking about my dad."
"I have known Coach Hoeppner for a long time, either coaching against him or working in camps and clinics with him, so we knew each other extremely well," said Bill. "I got to know his staff a lot and got close with them the last three years at Miami (Ohio) with Billy being there. I wasn't expecting to get offered the position, but when it did happen, I know that we were both excited for this opportunity."
Some coaches might hesitate to have a father and son on his staff, but Hoeppner's biggest question mark came with how Billy would feel about the situation. Knowing that both coaches would be a great addition to the staff, he first wanted to make sure the comfort level with Billy was smooth.
"My reservations at first were really just about how Billy would feel about it," said Hoeppner. "I knew Bill was a great football coach and I talked to Billy about it and he was excited. That really made my decision that much easier. I feel as though we have a very close staff and having both those guys on it just added to that."
This is not the first time that Bill and Billy have been on the same team. Bill was the head coach at Ball State for seven years (1995-02). Billy followed his dad to BSU, where he was a three-year letterwinner in football and basketball between 1998-02. He led the Cardinals in receptions his senior year with 40 catches.
Both coaches do not believe in hiding their father-son relationship. There is no formal title that they use in the office or on the field. Billy believes that his four-year experience playing for his dad prepared him for the challenge of working on the same staff with his father.
"Around the staff, I address him as dad and he addresses me as Billy. Around the players, I will say dad or coach, but we don't have any strict rules that we follow as to what we should call each other. We have been through this before with him coaching me at Ball State, so we know how to deal with it."
With father Bill the offensive coordinator and his son in charge of the wide receivers, one might think that some differences in opinion about practices, drills, plays and recruiting occur. Some people also might think that both of them just talk to each other about ideas and strategies, but both coaches ensure that they are all part of the same offensive philosophy headed by Coach Hoeppner.
"That is what makes this kind of special is that having played for my dad and working with Coach Hep the last few years, I already know what type of offense we are running," said Billy. "It has made things a lot easier since we all have the same philosophies on the offensive side of the ball."
"This staff, we all have at different times, worked together or spent time together," said Bill. "Everyone shares the same philosophy as a staff, and that all comes from Coach Hoeppner. We all share ideas as a staff, rather than just say I am just sharing ideas and plans with Billy and he is doing the same with me."
Any coach is obviously in a position of respect. For Billy, he has grown up around a coach's lifestyle his whole life. Asked if he finds himself imitating his dad's words or actions as a coach, Billy says it's not just his dad that he thinks about, it's all the coaches he has been around.
"Any coach that you play for or coach with, you catch yourself saying things that they have said. I see myself doing that now, not only with things my dad told me, but some things that, for instance, my basketball coach in college told me. "
Growing up with his dad being a coach, Billy himself now has aspirations of eventually moving up to a head coaching job. Father Bill knows that the path to getting a head job is difficult, but Billy is on the right road.
"I could tell when he was at Ball State that he wanted to be a coach. He was lucky enough to get on a great staff at Miami (Ohio) and prove what he could do. I think that going there as a graduate assistant, rather than say be a GA at Ball State, was great for him. He got exposed to other coaches and some other philosophies that will only help him down the road."
The spring season will come to an end on Friday, April 15, with the annual Cream and Crimson Spring Game. The spring finale is set for 7 p.m., at Memorial Stadium. Admission is free to all Hoosier fans.
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