By Terry Boehmker
N.Ky Tribune sports reporter
Marty Steele wasn’t surprised by the number of former players who visited longtime high school football coach Owen Hauck before he passed away Wednesday at Rosedale Manor in Covington. Like him, they came to express their love and appreciation for a man who helped shape their lives.
“Throughout the week, you couldn’t find a parking space at the nursing home from all the people coming in,” Steele said. “I was over there (Tuesday) and there was probably 10 of his former football players from different eras in the room saying goodbye.”
Owen Hauck
Hauck was 88 years old when he died. He spent much of his life coaching football, compiling a career record of 284-130-4 in 35 seasons as head coach at three high schools.
He took charge of the Highlands program in 1962 and had a 48-8-1 record in five seasons with one state championship and two state runner-up teams. After coaching at Mt. Healthy High School in Ohio from 1968 to 1972, Hauck returned to Northern Kentucky to become head coach at Boone County High School. In 25 seasons with the Boone County program, his teams had a 210-101 record, won 11 regional championships and made it to the Class 4A state final in 1986, 1987, 1992 and 1994.
Steele was a player and assistant coach for Hauck at Boone County. He’s now head coach of the Rebels’ program. He pursued a career in education because of the impact Hauck had on his life.
“I had an opportunity to help him out (as an assistant coach) and decided that’s what I wanted to do,” Steele said. “I wanted to be like him so that what’s I did. You can ask a lot of other players and they’ll say the same thing.”
Hauck’s combined record of 258-109-1 at Highlands and Boone County makes him the second winningest coach in Northern Kentucky high school football and ranks among the top 20 in the state.
“When you came into the (Boone County) program, coach was kind of bigger than life,” Steele said. “It’s hard to explain, but you have a life-long respect for the man. You were scared to death or him, but at the same time you knew he really cared about you.”
The best player to come out of the Boone County football program was Shaun Alexander, a running back on the 1994 state runner-up team. Alexander went on to play in the Super Bowl with the Seattle Seahawks and was voted the most valuable player in the National Football League in 2005.
When Alexander heard about Hauck’s death, he put this post on Twitter: “Love you Coach Hauck! Thank Jesus for allowing a great man like you in my life. You taught us how to fight and be a winner.”
Hauck received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Football Foundation in 1998, one year after he retired from teaching and coaching. He was also inducted into the Dawahares Kentucky High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame, Northern Kentucky Athletic Directors Hall of Fame and LaRosa’s High School Hall of Fame.
The football field at Boone County High School was named in honor of the former coach. Each year, the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association gives the Owen Hauck Award to the coach of the most improved team in the area.
Visitation will be 4-8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at United Church of Christ in Fort Thomas. A service will be held from 10-11 a.m. at the church on Wednesday, Feb. 24.
