Hoosiers

Excuse me, Miss, could you direct me to Cletus Summers' office?

- It's up the stairs. - Thank you.

You're not the new coach?

Were you expecting somebody different?

- Younger, I guess. - I'm sorry to disappoint you.

Yeah, no, I must've misunderstood Cletus.

You see, he said he was hiring someone

who'd never coached high school before,

- so, I naturally assumed... - I coached in college.

And I hear you're our new history and civics teacher as well.

That's part of the job as I understand it.

You have any experience teaching?

Tell me something. Am I being interviewed here?

I thought I already had the job.

Straight up.

You know, if everyone is as nice as you,

country hospitality is going to get an awful name.

What a pleasant thing to say.

Cletus?

What are you doing down there?

Floating.

Norman Dale?

- I hardly recognize you. - It's been 20 years.

Buffalo State Teachers' College, spring of '31.

You know, I've had a hell of a time tracking you down.

I didn't know you were still in the service.

I'm here now.

You really made good time.

Wasn't it just yesterday or the day before that we settled this thing?

You said practice started last week,

I figured I'd get here as soon as I could.

It's been a while for you.

Yeah, I really appreciate what you're doing. I...

Let's not be repeating ourselves.

Your slate's clean here. We got a job to do.

So come on, Coach, let me show you around.

Okay.

This is where it all happens.

It's not exactly what you're used to, but we're proud of it.

And during the season, we'll put over 800 people in here every Friday night.

When does practice start? - Well, we'll practice at noon this week

'cause some of the boys gotta get ready for thrashing on Saturday.

Jimmy, I want you to meet someone.

- This is Norman Dale, our new coach. - Hi.

- Real friendly town you've got here. - Can be.

Let's go on back out to the farm.

I've got a place fixed up out there for you. Get you squared away.

That's it. Thank you.

- Say hello to Chester. - Hello, Chester.

Say goodbye to Chester.

You say this kid Jimmy,

he wouldn't play basketball after the coach died?

Well, the coach was kind of like an old man to him, you know.

The kid never had any family of his own to speak of.

At least, he comes on down to the school and shoots them buckets.

Aside from that, he's just about backed away from everything.

I don't know why you're going on so about this kid being irreplaceable.

It's my experience that nobody's irreplaceable.

Well, I think there's something you don't understand.

Oh?

In over 40 years of looking at the best this state's ever had,

I have never seen a better ballplayer than Jimmy Chitwood.

Never!

I'm glad you're here, Norman. I think it's gonna work out.

Well, it's gotta work out this time or that's it for good.

The last time you coached was 12 years ago?

- Yeah, that's right. - Where?

That was in Ithaca, New York.

What you been doing since?

I've been in the Navy for the last 10 years. I was a chief petty officer.

Well,

looks like you're going to need a little help.

Since I've been running practices the last couple of weeks,

I'll help you out till you get your feet wet.

This town doesn't like change much,

so we thought we'd get together here tonight

and show you how we do things here.

We trust that you're a fine, upstanding, God-fearing man

with Christian morals and principles

who'll set an example and a standard of leadership for our boys.

Tell me, do you believe in man-to-man or a zone defense?

Zone defense is all

- we've played in the past... - Yeah, that's right.

...and it's the only thing that'll work this year.

That's right, George.

For out there, our boys are too small,

but remember, we were 15 and 10 last year

and we got all our boys back but one.

Listen. I ain't interested in talking defense here,

and I don't have a hair of a notion why we hired someone

who's been in the water for the last 10 years.

Now the main point here is,

we don't get Jimmy Chitwood back playing ball, we don't have a prayer.

- That's right. - That's right.

He switches over to Terhune, we're in big trouble.

Rooster's right, Coach. Jimmy's the Jack to their...

Gentlemen, it's been real nice talking to you.

Good night.

Miss Fleener?

Good morning.

I heard the boys weren't real generous with you last night.

I keep forgetting there are only about 50 people in this town.

This hick town, you mean?

- I didn't say that. - That's what you're thinking, isn't it?

I thought we were gonna be friends.

I guess you're gonna wanna talk about Jimmy.

Why would I?

Certainly you've been told you can't win without him.

Too many times in the last 24 hours.

What's it have to do with you?

I look after him. His mother's sick and his father passed away

and we're neighbors.

And he and I decided that it's best for him not to play this...

- I see. That's fine. - You hear me? He's not gonna play.

Yes, that's fine.

I'm sure you're gonna be convinced to go after him.

If I am, you will be the first to know.

Good morning. Good morning.

Come on. Give me two outside.

Quit throwing the ball around and shoot it!

Move it!

That's the shot. Outside. Buddy! Get on the boards!

Nice shot. Rip those nets.

Give me two. Give me two outside.

Get it up there. You can't score if you don't shoot!

Shoot from outside! Quit throwing it around. Get it in the hole!

There you are.

I thought we'd go 20 minutes on, 10 off, and 20 on.

I had a different schedule in mind.

Look, Mister, these boys got a routine they're used to.

You throw a new coach with newfangled ideas at them,

might get them all confused.

Maybe we'll ease into it real slow.

Hell, their first game's less than two weeks away.

First of all, let's be real friendly here, okay?

My name is Norm.

Secondly, your coaching days are over.

Look, Mister, there's

two kinds of dumb,

a guy that gets naked and runs out in the snow

and barks at the moon,

and

a guy who does the same thing in my living room.

The first one don't matter.

The second one you're kinda forced to deal with.

Translate.

That some sort of threat?

I don't know why Cletus drug your tired old bones in here.

He must've owed you something fierce.

Fact is, Mister, you start screwing up this team,

I'll personally hide-strap your ass to a pine rail

and send you up the Monon line.

Leave the ball, will you, George?

Thank you.

Huddle up.

Let's see what kind of hand I've been dealt here.

Seven players. That it?

Six. 'Cause I really don't count.

Why is that?

I'm too short and I'm not no good.

I suit up for practice to be a body. Equipment management is my trade.

I thought everybody in Indiana played basketball.

Sir, most do, but not all go out for the team.

We only got 64 boys in the whole school.

It's gonna be a lonely bench.

Those of you who don't know, my name is Norman Dale.

I coached college ball for 10 years,

but it's been 12 years since I've blown this,

so I'm gonna be learning from you, just like you learn from me.

I'm gonna be setting up practice

a little bit differently than you're used to,

but as you'll find out, everything has its reasons.

Basketball is a voluntary activity.

It's not a requirement.

If any of you feel you don't want to be on the team,

feel free to leave right now. Did you hear what I said?

- Me? - Yes, you.

Sure. I'm just curious to know when we start.

We start when I say so.

Would you kinda let me know? 'Cause I'm kinda getting tired of...

All right, out. Out of here. Right now.

- You're kicking me out? - Yes.

Don't come back until you learn to keep your mouth shut and listen.

Break my heart.

Come on, Whit, let's fly this chicken coop.

Didn't you say you'd rather be down at Terhune anyway?

It's your funeral.

Let's move, gizzard.

I ain't no gizzard.

Have fun, Coach, trying to win with five...

Make that four and a half players.

Okay, let's get those folding chairs, line them up right here.

About three feet apart.

Go!

Come on, little man!

- Let's move. Come on, let's move. - But when do we scrimmage?

We don't scrimmage.

No shooting either.

That ain't no fun!