Indiana University Athletics
Ask Coach Hep
4/3/2006 12:00:00 AM | Football
April 3, 2006
Indiana football fans can ask head coach Terry Hoeppner his thoughts on the Hoosiers' progress this spring or the outlook for the 2006 season by e-mailing Coach Hep at athlweb@indiana.edu. Your questions and Coach Hep's answers will be posted weekly through April 15, the date of the annual Cream-Crimson spring intrasquad game. Here is the second installment of responses.
William Brown
Coach Hep,
At Miami of Ohio you were able to build on success year after year. After your first year as the head football coach at Indiana University, what do you see as being the greatest challenges/opportunities for this program as we look to rebuild as a Big Ten program. Also, what do you think it will take for IU to get the top talent we need to win in the Big Ten?
Respectfully yours,
William
William,
The formula I used at Miami will work here. We will recruit student/athletes with great character that can run FAST. It is already apparent this spring that we are a much faster team. Speed/athleticism is the key. We had a great winter in improving our team strength and speed, and the incoming freshman class will also reflect that emphasis on speed. We will win football games as a result of the way we manage our lives on a daily basis. Character counts. Thanks for your question.
Coach Hep
Jerry Anderson
Coach Hep,
Looking forward to the scrimmage on Pancakes/Pigskin day. Also, do you know if the motorcycle escort will be done against for the home opener of 2006?
Thank you,
Jerry
Jerry,
If I have anything to do with it the motorcycles will be back. Knowing Rick Greenspan and his affection for his "bike", I'm sure he'll be leading the Ride to the Rock again this year. See you on Saturday.
Coach Hep
Ron George
Coach Hep,
I've been a follower of IU for a number of years now (I am from Richmond, Indiana). I've been especially impressed with Will "The Thrill" Meyers. How will he be utilized this year with the new defensive scheme and will he be looked upon as one of the leaders on the team?
Ron,
Will was recently named to the Lott Watch List, which identifies the top defensive players in the nation. So, obviously, others feel the way you do about Will. He will be an integral part of our defense again this year because he is so versatile. It helps that he is very intelligent and that he is a natural leader on the team. Thanks for your question.
Coach Hep
Kris Karlen
Coach,
The running game this year. Who do you feel is our primary backs will be? Do you think that any of them can be major playmakers? And thank you so much for beginning the process of making Indiana Football enjoyable to watch again. Go IU!
Kris,
We will be young at running back this year, but very talented. We redshirted three freshmen last year, and all three have a chance to play. We have also moved Marcus Thigpen and his 4.2 speed into the backfield, and I know that will help. Josiah Sears at 242 is looking good so far this spring, so he gives us a big back that is playing big this spring. I'm optimistic about the running game this year. Thanks for your question.
Coach Hep
Jeff Tetrick
Coach Hep,
Thank you for the effort and enthusiasm you are bringing to IU Football. I look forward to the April 15 game that my family and I will be attending. I know you used tight ends a lot at Miami in your offense. Are the tight ends performing at a level where you feel they can be utilized more to take some pressure off of the wideouts?
Thanks again for a great job.
Jeff,
Tight ends are so valuable because they can do so many things. We will use them on special teams as well as blockers and receivers on offense. The better our tight ends play, the better we will be as a team. Thanks for your question.
Coach Hep
Justin Hollander
Coach Hep,
What player or players could have a breakout season next year? What are your goals during spring practice?
Justin,
We redshirted 20 of our 23 freshmen last year, so we have a lot of young players we are hoping "break-out" this spring. So far, we haven't been disappointed. I could name the entire class, because they are all playing well, but two of the most notably improved players are veterans Tracy Porter and Adam McClurg. The future is bright for IU football. Thanks for the question. Go Hoosiers.
Coach Hep
