Count Penn State football coach Joe Paterno among the many who were saddened by Indiana coach Terry Hoeppner's death. Hoeppner, 59, died Tuesday after a long battle with brain cancer.
"I admired him as a person and a football coach,” Paterno said. “I wasn't around him a whole lot since we haven't played Indiana (the past two years), but during the time I spent with him at Big Ten meetings, you could see that he was a very honest and courageous person. My condolences go out to his family and everyone at Indiana."
Hoeppner was 9-14 in two seasons at Indiana, which had rotated off Penn State's schedule in 2005 and 2006. Prior to that, he fashioned a 48-25 record in six seasons at Miami of Ohio.
"We came to know Terry as a great leader of young men and an important member of the Big Ten coaching community. He will be truly missed," Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said in a statement.
Last week, IU announced that assistant coach Bill Lynch would take over the top job for 2007 while Hoeppner continued treatment for his disease. Lynch will still handle the role of head coach this season.
Penn State faces the Hooisers in Bloomington Oct. 20.