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A longtime fixture of Region athletics who had a national impact died Friday.
John Friend, who served as a coach and athletic director at Purdue University Northwest, Hammond High School and Munster High School, died at the age of 89 after championing local athletes for most of his life. The Indiana Football Hall of Famer spoke at youth football clinics across North America and literally wrote the book for Pop Warner coaches nationally.
Friend was thedirector of athletics emeritus at Purdue University Northwest after serving as director of athletics at what was then known as Purdue University Calumet in Hammond for 20 years before he retired in 2001. He continued to remain involved in the athletic department long after his retirement, continuing to pursue fundraising efforts three days a week.
He was given the emeritus title in 2017 when the basketball court at Purdue University Northwest's Fitness and Recreation Center was named the John Friend Court in his honor.
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"John was a championship coach, a graceful leader, and a wonderful ambassador. Most importantly, he was a mentor to countless student-athletes and coaches," Purdue Northwest Director of Athletics Rick Costello said. "I will deeply miss him and the cherished conversations we shared about our love of sports. My thoughts and prayers are with the Friend family during this difficult time. John will forever be a source of inspiration for the Purdue Northwest Pride."
Friend also served as an athletic director, football coach and basketball coach at Hammond and Munster high schools for years.
The Crown Point High School graduate went toDavid Lipscomb College and earned his master's degree from Southern Illinois University. He taught briefly at Merrillville High School before coaching basketball at Pepperdine University in Los Angeles. He returned to the Region to coach at Hammond and Munster high schools before becoming athletic director at Purdue University Calumet in 1980.
Friend was inducted into many halls of fame, including theIndiana Football Hall of Fame, theNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics, Purdue University Northwest Athletics, the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference,David Lipscomb College, Hammond High School and Munster High School.
He served for several years asNational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics District 21 chairman for the 22-member association of small Indiana colleges, and was repeatedly named Administrator of the Year during his tenure as Purdue Calumet athletic director.
Friend wrote the "Coaching Youth Football" textbook that Pop Warner adopted as a coaches' manual nationally in 1977.
Friend, who also served on the Munster School Board and the Lake Heritage Parks Foundation, started the annual Powers-Purdue Northwest Golf Outing with Community Healthcare System founder and Munster civic benefactor Don Powers. He helped develop Purdue Northwest's outdoor athletic fields at Dowling Park in Hammond and created theJohn & Betty Friend Scholarship Fund at Purdue Northwest to benefit student-athletes at the university in perpetuity.
"John Friend's incredible work as a coach, administrator, and fundraiser transformed the lives of many and will leave a lasting impact on Pride Athletics," Purdue Northwest Chancellor Kenneth Holford said. "We are deeply appreciative of his longtime connection to the university and support that helped us to become an NCAA Division II home of championship teams."
A look back at Northwest Indiana businesses that closed in 2023
A look back at Region businesses that closed in 2023
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