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

When I heard that Gene Hackman had died, I thought of the movie “Hoosiers.” I thought of Coach Norman Dale at Hickory High. I thought of so many scenes from the movie when stopping in the “Hoosiers Gym,

Gene Hackman was a veteran actor in his 50s when 'Hoosiers' was released in 1986. Former Hickory Huskers and 'Hoosiers' producer remember Hackman