HOBART | Ken Haupt was never big on happy smiles, warm and fuzzy behavior or knee-slapping humor.
He was the consummate football coach.
The Indiana Hall of Famer was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at Wednesday night's 64th Gary Old-Timers Athletic Banquet at Avalon Manor.
In 33 years as head coach at three different high schools, Haupt compiled a 216-124-2 overall record and guided Merrillville to its first and only state title (AAA) in 1976 by edging Indianapolis Cathedral 28-24.
"What I liked most were the people and the camaraderie with the town. It was a close-knit community when we moved up here in '75," Haupt said. "It was a great place to raise our three kids. You could walk up and down Broadway at noon time and see very few cars.
"The (Southlake) mall was just coming in. The only thing out there was the Red Roof Inn."
Haupt began his coaching career in Cincinnati, spent nine seasons at Merrillville, then finished up at Southport in Indianapolis, where he still lives.
He replaced Merrillville's first football coach, Dick Demaree, for whom its stadium is named.
"Coach Haupt came in my junior year and from the get-go, everything was different," former Pirate Doug Miller said. "He had a little bit of a southern accent and I remember him saying: 'You all pack a lunch (because) we're not gonna have two-a-days. We're just gonna do three-a-days. We'll lay the wrestling mats out and you guys can relax in between practices.'
"The other thing was, back in that era, a water break? It was unheard of. Coach Haupt had a water station built with fountains and a lot of us were afraid. We thought it was a trick or a trap."
Miller's 1976 teammates included Kelly Keough (Michigan), Ron Bova (Ball State), Woody Melcher, Dan Dainton, Tim Seneff (Purdue), Mike Chelovich (Northern Illinois), Larry Tharp (Northern Illinois), Tom Szmagaj (Ball State) and AAA Mental Attitude Award winner Randy Shuman.
The Region has had 11 state champions and fans love to debate which of the teams was the greatest. Miller, a longtime broadcaster for the Region Radio Sports Network, is an authority on the subject.
"The format is completely different now. Back in 1976, you had to qualify to be in the tournament, which we did," Miller said. "We were state champions and we were 11-and-1. Now, to win a state championship in Indiana, you have to win three games just to win a sectional.
"And we won three games to win state. It's a little tougher right now."
Many consider the 1977 Merrillville team as the Region's best ever. Haupt's Pirates finished 10-1, posting five shutouts and outscoring opponents 243-36, only to be upset in sectional play by eventual state champ Portage, 3-0, on Alec Mackenzie's chip-shot field goal.
"We had great aspirations of playing downstate again," Haupt said. "It was a great game. We had opportunities. We got inside the 15-yard line two or three times and couldn't pull it across."
64TH GARY OLD-TIMERS ATHLETIC BANQUET
