Year Inducted: 1990
Nominated By: N/A
Sports Competed In: Basketball, Football
Athlete, Coach or Contributor: Athlete, Coach
High School:
Attended Pueblo Catholic H.S.(PCHS), graduating in 1960.
Achievements:
High School:
● Earned three varsity letters playing end and receiver on the Shamrocks football team.
● Selected to the All-Conference and All-State teams two years each.
● Played in the High School All-Star game in Pueblo.
● During the 1959 season, scored the most points of anyone in Pueblo: 42 points (Touchdowns), 27 points (PATs) - 69 points scored.
● Also played and lettered three years in basketball (forward) and baseball (1st base) for PCHS.
● Earned spots on the All-Conference and All-State two years each for both basketball and baseball.
College:
Went to the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) in Greeley, CO and graduating with a B.A. in Social Sciences (1964)...Obtained a M.A. in Secondary Education from UNC in 1967.
Achievements:
College:
Awarded a football scholarship to UNC where he lettered three season on the Bears gridiron team.
Coaching Career:
● Begin coaching career as a defensive coordinator on the football team at Englewood H.S., in Denver, CO from 1964-66.
● Took over the reins of the football program in 1967.
● Was the the youngest 4A head Coach in Colorado at 26 years old.
● In 1969, went to the University of Oklahoma (OU) where he spent nine years (1969-77) as the offensive line coach.
● While at OU, helped the Sooners to two National Championships and eight Big Eight Championships and seven bowl games (three Orange Bowls, two Sugar Bowls and one Blue Bonnet and Fiesta Bowl).
● OU's offense led the Nation: rushing offense, total offense, single game rushing record, total points scored.
● Coached 27 All-Conference linemen, eight All-American offensive lineman; and one Outland Trophy winner and blocked for two Heisman Trophy winners.
● Recruited John Rousch, Elvis Peacock, Fred Nixon, Reggie Kinlaw, Mike Reiley, Kenny King...All were drafted by pro teams after graduation.
● Considered the best offensive line coach in the country and spoke at over 25 major coaching clinics.
● Returned to Colorado to for three years (1979-81) as an assistant coach at the University of Colorado where he coached the offensive line and then became the offensive coordinator, quarterback coach and assistant coach.
● Recruited Mark and Dan DeRose and Brian Miles from Pueblo.
● After Chuck Fairbanks (head Coach at C.U.) left to take a job coaching the New Jersey Generals, he had the opportunity to go with him but chose to stay in Colorado.
Related Activities:
● Became the executive Vice President at R.B. Marich, Inc. an investment banking firm in Denver.
● To stay close to football, he hosted his own weekly sports talk show with KYBG Radio.
● Also did the radio color commentary for several CSU Ram football game and was the television color commentator of three Big Eight games on prime sports network on cable.
Achievements:
● Teamed up with Mark Koenig and ex-athletic trainer at OU and CU, and Ted Layne to author a book entitled "Who's Coaching Your Kids?" published by Safesport Publishing, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The book has been endorsed by Parent, Parade, Sports Illustrated, the National Association of Youth League Coaches and several major college coaches.
● Author of several articles on coaching and blocking techniques in major publications.
Quotes:
"Gene Hochevar has established a record of excellence in both the play and the coaching of athletics, at the high school and college levels. From multiple All-State honors for his success in the play of high school football, basketball and baseball, to the coaching of 10 All-American football players at two major American universities, Hochevar has demonstrated his knowledge of competitive sports in general, and of all aspects of football in particular. Having lettered for three years at the University of Northern Colorado where he attended on a football scholarship, he became head football coach at Englewood High School in Colorado in 1967. He then served as offensive line coach at the University of Oklahoma, where he stayed for nine years before becoming assistant head coach and offensive coordinator of the University of Colorado...He is a noted guest speaker at high school sports banquets and coaching clinic’s nation-wide, and has been in demand as color commentator and guest on numerous television and radio broadcasts of football games and football related programs".
--Gene Hochevar, Mark Koenig, & Ted Layne, Co-Author of the Book "Who's Coaching Your Kids?".
Occupation:
Executive Vice-President of a prominent Denver based Investment banking venture capital firm...Was in the oil business in Oklahoma at the time of his death.
Personal:
Lived in Boulder, CO with his wife Donna Sue (college swetheart and CSU Homecoming Queen)...Had two children, a daughter, Kristin and a son, Eric... Passed away Dec. 2, 2010 at age 68.
