Darrell Hedric is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 basketball

Basketball

Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...

 head coach

Head coach

A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...

 and scout, most noted as the coach of the Miami University

Miami University

Miami University is a coeducational public research university located in Oxford, Ohio, United States. Founded in 1809, it is the 10th oldest public university in the United States and the second oldest university in Ohio, founded four years after Ohio University. In its 2012 edition, U.S...

 (Ohio

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...

) basketball team from 1970 to 1984.

Early history

Hedric was born and raised in Franklin, Ohio

Franklin, Ohio

Not to be confused with Franklin County, Ohio.Franklin is a city in Warren County, Ohio, United States. The population was 11,771 at the 2010 census.-History:...

. He was a standout star on the Franklin Wildcats

Franklin High School (Ohio)

Franklin High School is a public high school in Franklin, Ohio....

 basketball team. During his senior year, he was recruited to play college basketball at Miami University the following year. Hedric went on to gain his varsity letter

Varsity letter

A varsity letter is an award earned in the United States for excellence in school activities. A varsity letter signifies that its winner was a qualified varsity team member, awarded after a certain standard was met.- Description :...

 in all four years of his collegiate career.

After graduation, Hedric went on to play professional basketball for short period of time. He was drafted into the United States Navy

United States Navy

The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...

 and served on a destroyer in Antarctica. After serving his country, Hedric once again turned to basketball, taking the head coaching job at Hamilton High School

Hamilton High School (Hamilton, Ohio)

Hamilton High School is a public high school in Hamilton, Ohio. It is the only high school in the Hamilton City School District. It was the school in which President Bush signed the No Child Left Behind Act on January 8, 2002....

 in Hamilton, Ohio

Hamilton, Ohio

Hamilton is a city in Butler County, southwestern Ohio, United States. The population was 62,447 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Butler County. The city is part of the Cincinnati metropolitan area....

.

Miami University coaching history

Subsequently, Hedric returned to Miami University to serve as assistant basketball coach. In 1970 Hedric took the reins of the school's basketball program as the head coach, a position he held until 1984. By the end of his coaching career, he amassed several notable achievements including defeating defending national champion Marquette

Marquette University

Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...

 in the NCAA tournament, and regular season wins over coaching legends Bobby Knight

Bobby Knight

-Indiana:When Indiana University was seeking a new coach in 1971, they turned to Knight. Knight was given the nickname "The General" by former University of Detroit and Detroit Pistons coach-turned-broadcaster Dick Vitale....

 and Dean Smith

Dean Smith

Dean Edwards Smith is a retired American head coach of men's college basketball. Originally from Emporia, Kansas, Smith has been called a “coaching legend” by the Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith is best known for his successful 36-year coaching tenure at the University of North Carolina at Chapel...

. Hedric remains the only coach to have defeated both Bob Knight and Dean Smith on their home courts.

Hedric compiled a record of 216–157 at Miami, and along the way recruited many fine basketball players, most notable being Ron Harper

Ron Harper

Ronald "Ron" Harper is a retired American professional basketball player whose career spanned from 1986 to 2001 with four teams in the NBA. At 6 ft 6 in , his position was shooting guard/point guard.- Collegiate career :...

 who went on to win multiple NBA championships.

He was inducted into the Miami Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978. He is also an inductee of the Franklin and Butler County Halls of Fame.