Episode 273: Coach Bill Hodges (Former Indiana State Head Men's Basketball Coach) "The Larry Bird Story"

Bill Hodges was born in Lebanon, Indiana and grew up near Zionsville where  he attended high school and played basketball for Indiana Hall of Fame coach Jim  Rosenstihl. After graduation Hodges spent four years in the United States Air Force,  where he traveled the Far East.  After completing his armed forces duty he attended Edison Junior College in  Fort Myers, Florida where he played basketball for Indiana and Florida Hall of Fame  coach, Hugh Thimlar.  Hodges transferred from Edison to Purdue University before he completed his  collegiate degree at Marian University in Indianapolis, Indiana where he became a  student basketball coach.  He went on to Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville, Tennessee where he  received his Master’s Degree and became a full time assistant college basketball  coach.  Bill spent the next ten years as an assistant college coach and sixteen years as  a head college coach at Indiana State, Georgia College, and Mercer University.  He is most well remembered for his tenure at Indiana State University, where  his ISU Sycamores, led by Larry Bird, were the runners up to Michigan State in the  1979 NCAA National Championship. Hodges was named AP, UPI, Sporting News, and  Kellogg National Coach of the year for his inaugural year as a head coach.  After his retirement from Basketball Coaching Bill was drafted back into  coaching as the basketball coach at Roanoke Catholic High School until they dropped  their varsity program. He was then hired to rebuild the North Cross School program and in two years coached them to a 60‐12 record and 1 final 4 and 1 state champion  runner up position.  Bill presently resides with his daughter Zoie’s family in The Villages, Florida. [email protected]