Susan Cottingham, secretary and treasurer of the Milan ’54 Hoosiers Museum and lifelong resident of the town of 1,800, said Thursday she expected a steady flow of visitors over the next few days, though the place was quiet hours after news of Hackman’s death broke.
Cottingham said she's watched the movie at least a dozen times — probably on the low end for Hoosiers aficionados — and has hazy memories of when Milan High made its real-life run to the championship.
The tale follows the journey of the Hickory Huskers, a team that in the movie version took on big-city South Bend Central in the 1952 state championship game and won with Jimmy Chitwood hitting a buzzer-beater.
The dazzling films of Gene Hackman stand out for sports fan for one reason: His unforgettable role as Norman Dale, coach of the feel-good, state champion Hickory Huskers in “Hoosiers.”.
Hackman starred as Dale, a man who was given a second chance at coaching after his first one ended after striking one of his players years earlier.
