Chapter Eternal: Tim Hreha ’73

Tim Hreha ’73, who came to DePauw as a student-athlete in 1969 and served on the coaching staff for six decades, passed away on January 27, 2022. Tim was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta Class of 1973.

Tim came to DePauw from McKeesport, PA and was a three-year starter in football as a defensive tackle. He earned three varsity letters, the team’s Spirit Award in 1971, and the role of team captain his senior year.

After graduating in 1973 as a history major, Tim earned the M.A.T. degree in physical education from DePauw in 1976, while serving as a graduate assistant football coach. Following a year at Shenandoah High School, he returned to DePauw for the 1978-79 year and rejoined the football staff as an assistant coach in a role he continued for over 40 seasons. Tim served as the defensive coordinator and has coached defensive linemen, linebackers and kickers. The Tigers’ defenses were known for their stinginess against the run, particularly the 1983 team that led the NCAA Division III by allowing just 41.6 rushing yards per game.

For 14 seasons, beginning in 1979, Tim was the men’s track and field head coach and in 1981, he was appointed as the first coach of the women’s track and field program, a capacity in which he would serve for seven years. Since 1994, Tim had assisted both the men’s and women’s track and field programs, primarily working with the throwers. He coached multiple DePauw student-athletes to All-America honors.

In 2016, Tim and the other coaches and players of the record-setting 1981 Football Team were inducted into DePauw’s Athletics Hall of Fame. That same year, Tim was presented with the Spirit of the Monon Bell Award, honoring his long-time contributions to DePauw and the Monon Bell rivalry. Tim retired from DePauw in 2019 and served as a volunteer assistant coach in football and track and field since then.