Hall of Fame
A 1955 Miami graduate, Hedric has enjoyed close to a 50-year association with the university. As a four-year letterwinner, he played on three MAC championship team under Bill Rohr and served as co-captain his senior year. Following graduation, Hedric played in the National Industrial Basketball League with the Goodyear Wingfoots of Akron and then spent a two-year stint in the Navy.
He then returned for graduate work at Miami and served as a graduate assistant coach under former Miami coach and athletic director Richard Shrider during the 1957-58 season. After stints as a junior high and high school coach, Hedric returned to Miami as the first full-time assistant coach in 1960. He held that position under Shrider and later Tates Locke before taking over as head coach in 1970. During his 14 years as head coach, Hedric won more games (216) than any other basketball coach in Miami history. His 216 wins are the third-most in Mid-American Conference history, and his .579 winning percentage (216-157) ranks No. 7 on the all-time MAC list among those who have coached at least five years.
Hedric led Miami to five MAC regular-season championships, one MAC postseason tournament title and four NCAA Tournament appearances. He is one of only three coaches in MAC history to be named league Coach of the Year three times (1971,1973,1984). One of his greatest moments in coaching was Miami' stunning 84-81 overtime win over defending national champion Marquette in the first round of the 1978 NCAA Tournament at Indianapolis. Hedric also recruited former all-American and current Chicago Bulls' starter Ron Harper to Miami in 1982.
In 1984, after leading Miami to both the regular-season and MAC Tournament championships, a school-record 24 wins and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, Hedric resigned as basketball coach and became associate athletic director under Shrider. Hedric also served as an associate A.D. under R.C. Johnson, and served as interim athletic director for nearly a year following Johnson's departure in May of 1994.
A native of Franklin, Ohio, Hedric was inducted into the Miami Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978, and is also a member of the Franklin and Butler County Halls of Fame. Hedric went on to join the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he served as the Cavs Head Scout. Hedric supervised the Cavs scouting system, which includes the NBA, college and all other scouting venues. Hedric was also responsible for evaluating talent.
