Meet the man who's been part of all eight NorthWood football state finals appearances
NAPPANEE — There are few people that bleed the red and black of NorthWood football like Jim Hess.
A middle school history teacher for 45 years, Hess has been part of all eight state football finals appearance in program history. That includes this Saturday when the Panthers (12-2) face East Central (14-0) in the IHSAA Class 4A state championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
“I’ve been blessed,” Hess said. “I really, truly have been blessed to be in a program for that long and have as many appearances as we’ve had and the tournament runs we’ve had. I know there’s coaches out there that coach a long time that never get the opportunity that I’ve had, and so I’m very blessed to be able to do this.”
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Originally from Plymouth, Hess was struggling to find a teaching job after graduating from Ball State in 1977. He was working at an L.S. Ayres department store in South Bend for a while, hoping an opportunity would come up.
That chance eventually did when his father connected with Larry Pinkerton, the NorthWood High School principal at the time.
“He ended up getting a call from Wa-Nee that they have an opening in U.S. history,” Hess recalled. “I went in for the interview at 9 o’clock on Saturday morning and got hired 5:30 that night.”
Hess began teaching in 1978. He joined Jim Andrews’ football coaching staff right away, becoming the freshman team head coach. The first state finals appearance came two years later, with the Panthers losing to Franklin Central in the 1980 Class 2A title game.
It looked like Hess’s tenure at NorthWood was going to be cut short, as staff reductions led to him being laid off in 1982. One year later, though, he was offered his job back, which he accepted.
“Fortunately for me, they did not fill the football position,” Hess said. “Jim Andrews was hoping that if I did get my job back, that I would coach. He just waited and waited, and it worked out for me.”
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Hess went back to work with the football program, as well as taking on the eighth grade girls basketball head coaching responsibilities. It’s a job he’s had now for 42 seasons.
NorthWood football went on to make state finals appearances in 1986, 1993, 1998 and 2003 before finally winning the program’s first state crown in 2005. That season saw the Panthers go 3-6 in the regular season, battling injuries along the way. They were healthy in time for the playoffs, though, rattling off six wins in a row to win the Class 3A championship.
The program has returned to Indianapolis once between then and now, losing to Roncalli in the 4A state finals in 2016. The eight championship game appearances for NorthWood ranks in the top 15 amongst programs in the state. In total, Hess has been part of 14 Northern Lakes Conference, 19 sectional, 12 regional and seven semistate championships with the "Black Crunch."
After spending the first three-plus decades coaching the freshman team, Hess made the move to coach the eighth grade team in 2013. It’s a role Hess has stayed in since, even with Nate Andrews – Jim’s son – coming in as head varsity coach in 2014.
“I’m old enough to remember when Jim Hess joined the coaching staff, and it’s so awesome to have him around it,” Nate Andrews said. “He was my freshman coach, and it’s just neat he’s been around really every decade of the program. He’s been around every coaching staff, so he knows what it’s all about. He certainly bleeds it, and he’s with us every step of the way. He’s kind of the glue that connects our entire program.”
Hess helps where needed on Friday nights during games. His primary responsibility is handling the iPad that stores all the game film on it. He makes sure offensive coordinator Boonie Boocher and defensive coordinator Patrick Thompson get the iPad to look over previous plays, relaying any adjustments needed to make to the players.
While retirement is on the horizon for Hess, he wants to remain in coaching once he steps away from the classroom. Being around the NorthWood students is still important to Hess, and weekends like this make him proud to have played a part in the success of the football program.
“When they were in seventh and eighth grade, this is what they talked about,” Hess said. “They’re ecstatic that now it’s true. It’s going to take place; it’s going to happen. It’s exciting for the players and coaches, but also really exciting for the community.”
Indiana High School state championship pairings
Friday, Nov. 24, 2023
CLASS 1A: Adams Central (14-0) vs. Indianapolis Lutheran (12-0), 11 a.m.
CLASS 3A: Indianapolis Bishop Chatard (14-0) vs. Heritage Hills (13-1), 3 p.m.
CLASS 5A: Fort Wayne Snider (12-1) vs. Decatur Central (11-2), 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 25, 2023
CLASS 2A: Fort Wayne Bishop Luers (11-3) vs. Southmont/North Posey winner, 11 a.m.
CLASS 4A: NorthWood (12-2) vs. East Central (14-0), 3 p.m.
CLASS 6A: Crown Point (13-0) vs. Ben Davis (12-1), 7 p.m.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Jim Hess is 'the glue' that connects the NorthWood football program
