Indiana University Athletics
Hoeppner Speaks to Students in Assembly Hall
2/24/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
Feb. 24, 2006
As part of Indiana University's Center for Advancing Student Leadership (CASL) Speakers Series, IU head football coach Terry Hoeppner addressed over 100 students at Assembly Hall on Feb. 23. Hoeppner's message, "Building A Team," emphasized that leadership goes well beyond the head coach.
"Leadership is not a destination, but it's a journey," Hoeppner noted in his entertaining 45-minute discussion with the students. "We are products of the books that we read and the people that we meet. I did not make that up, but I believe it. I read a lot, and I do know that people that I have worked with, worked for, played with, coached with, have influenced me. I know that to be true. "
Throughout his presentation, Hoeppner referred to his ever-growing leadership library - Sun Tzu's The Art of War, Leadership Lessons of Robert E. Lee, Jim Collins' Good To Great, What It Takes To Be #1: Vince Lombardi on Leadership and Wooden on Leadership by John Wooden.
"I have expanded my horizons," Hoeppner said. "I don't just buy football coaching books or military history books. There are a lot of books that offer ideas on organization and discipline that are applicable to anything you do. Good To Great is a five-year study of different companies and how they grew and progressed during that period. That book really hit home for me in terms of taking what ideas and principles I have on leadership and taking them to the next level - good to great."
According to Hoeppner, the key is maximizing each and every opportunity.
"Think about the people who helped you get to where you are today," Hoeppner told the students. "My parents and my family really influenced me. My dad was my first coach. A lot of the things I do today go back to the way he coached me as my first coach. My college coach also influenced me.
"I can't stand in front of you and tell you that when I was 12 years old, I knew I wanted to be a head coach in the Big Ten (Conference). I do know that I learned early on to do the best you can with what you are doing right now."
Hoeppner has based this approach around his career ascension.
"After I was done playing, I spent time as a high school coach before going back to my alma mater (Franklin [Ind.] College)," Hoeppner said. "After six years there, I had the opportunity to go to Miami (Ohio) University. During my time there, I had different areas of responsibility. I coached the defensive backs, and then I became defensive coordinator, then assistant head coach and then head coach (1999).
"With each change, I always worked to lead my area of responsibility to the best of my ability in order to achieve success. I knew then that leadership is a journey, not a destination. There is nothing wrong with being successful, if you do it the right way."
Hoeppner closed his speech by detailing the core, "non-negotiable" principles of leadership.
"Indiana football is built on a foundation of integrity," Hoeppner said. "Because of business and politics news, it's kind of cool that integrity is fashionable again. Be in the right place at the right time and do the right things. Everyone knows the right thing to do, but do they do it?"
"Then there are the walls of loyalty," Hoeppner said. "Can I trust you and you trust me? You must have that trust whether it is in your family, your home, your team or your organization. It's part of the journey, not the destination."
Finally, there is the roof of tenacity and perseverance.
"The goals for our team are a 100 percent graduation rate and to be a champion on the field, in the classroom and in life," Hoeppner said. "I tell my team all the time to have a plan, work the plan and plan for the unexpected. You need to change with the time in order to achieve your goals, but don't you quit!"
