Bobby Plump -– the real-life Jimmy Chitwood –- said Gene Hackman deserves as much credit as anyone for taking his small-town Hoosier state basketball story beyond Indiana to the rest of the world. Hackman’s dazzling acting career stands out for sports fans for a single reason: His unforgettable role as Hickory Huskers coach Norman Dale in “Hoosiers,

Bobby Plump -– the real-life Jimmy Chitwood –- said Gene Hackman deserves as much credit as anyone for taking his small-town Hoosier state basketball story beyond Indiana to the rest the world.

Bobby Plump — the real-life Jimmy Chitwood — said Gene Hackman deserves as much credit as anyone for taking his small-town Hoosier state basketball story beyond Indiana to the rest the world. Hackman’s dazzling acting career stands out for sports fans for a single reason: His unforgettable role as Hickory Huskers coach Norman

Bobby Plump -– the real-life Jimmy Chitwood –- said Gene Hackman deserves as much credit as anyone for taking his small-town Hoosier state basketball story beyond Indiana to the rest of the world. Hackman’s dazzling acting career stands out for sports fans for a single reason: His unforgettable role as Hickory Huskers coach Norman Dale

In honor of Gene Hackman's passing, we go "UnPHILtered" with a member of the state championship winning team that inspired "Hoosiers."

Bobby Plump — the real-life Jimmy Chitwood — said Gene Hackman deserves as much credit as anyone for taking his small-town Hoosier state basketball story beyond Indiana to the rest

Bobby Plump — the real-life Jimmy Chitwood — said Gene Hackman deserves as much credit as anyone for taking his small-town Hoosier state basketball story beyond Indiana to the rest

There's one reason Hackman's dazzling acting career stands out for sports fans: His unforgettable role as Norman Dale, coach of the feel-good, state champion Hickory Huskers from a tiny Indiana town.

When great actors die, our grief multiplies. It feels like we lost them and every character they blessed with humanity. The emotions are deceiving because their art makes them eternal, but for those

Gene Hackman's dazzling acting career stands out for sports fans for a single reason: his unforgettable role in "Hoosiers" as coach Norman Dale.

(AP Photo/Tom Strickland, File) Bobby Plump — the real-life Jimmy Chitwood ... His unforgettable role as Hickory Huskers coach Norman Dale in “Hoosiers,” the 1986 movie loosely based ...

In “Hoosiers,” Gene Hackman, whose death was announced Thursday, created a man with understated strength, a taskmaster with emotional intelligence and a tormented winner.