Bethel University Magazine Fall 2021

Although Homer Drew didn’t make it back to Bethel University for Ţ$ 1LJKW :LWK +RPHU 'UHZ ŠŠ WKH IRUPHU KHDG EDVNHWEDOO FRDFK RI the Pilots made his presence felt as best he could. With a family member diagnosed with COVID-19 a few days before the scheduled Sept. 14 trip back to Mishawaka, Bethel and Drew did a very 2021 alternative. They set up a Zoom meeting with former players, friends and coaches, while Drew kept everyone safe by staying at his home in Arizona. “I’m very disappointed to not be there with all of you, but I’m GHƃQLWHO\ JODG WR VHH \RX ŠŠ 'UHZ VDLG Drew was the head men's basketball coach at Bethel from 1976 XQWLO ZLQQLQJ JDPHV DQG OHDGLQJ WKH 3LORWV WR WKH 1&&$$ QDWLRQDO WLWOH JDPH LQ WKH VSULQJ RI +H QHYHU KDG D losing season as Bethel’s head coach. 'UHZ OH̃ %HWKHO WR FRDFK DW ,86% IRU D \HDU EHIRUH JRLQJ RQ to become a national legend at Valparaiso University. He was LQGXFWHG LQWR WKH 1DWLRQDO %DVNHWEDOO FROOHJLDWH +DOO RI )DPH in 2019. 2QH RI WKH IRUPHU SOD\HUV WR KRQRU 'UHZ ZDV 0LNH /LJKWIRRW Š Drew’s successor at Bethel, who would lead the Pilots to seven QDWLRQDO FKDPSLRQVKLSV LQFOXGLQJ WKUHH LQ WKH 1$,$ /LJKWIRRW D PHPEHU RI 'UHZŠV ƃUVW WHDP DW %HWKHO ZDV LQVWUXPHQWDO LQ helping bring Drew back for the evening. :KHQ IRUPHU %HWKHO SUHVLGHQW 6WHYH &UDPHU Š 3K ' ZKR ZDV the master of ceremonies for the evening, spoke about watching VRPH RI 'UHZŠV ƃUVW %HWKHO WHDPV SOD\ WKH IRUPHU FRDFK GHƄHFWHG the words to his former players. “All I have to do is look around the room at my former players for our success,’’ Drew said. “They made my job easy…they’re the ones that deserve all the accolades for what we were able to accomplish.” Drew also spoke about how his Bethel players became an H[WHQVLRQ RI KLV IDPLO\ ZKLFK LQFOXGHV VRQV 6FRWW DQG %U\FH DQG daughter Dana. Last spring, Scott Drew led his Baylor University men’s basketball WHDP WR WKH 1&$$ 1DWLRQDO &KDPSLRQVKLS ZLWK +RPHU LQ attendance in Indianapolis. Several former players also spoke, including Lightfoot, Dick $UPLQJWRQ ş 6WHYH %URZQ ş DQG -HURPH &DOGHURQH IURP 'UHZŠV ƃUVW %HWKHO WHDP $UPLQJWRQ HYHQ ZRUH KLV ROG 1R jersey for the occasion. Proceeds from the evening went to renovate and refresh the ZHOOQHVV DQG ̯WQHVV VSDFH LQ *RRGPDQ *\PQDVLXP 3OHDVH MRLQ WKH ḪRUW E\ PDNLQJ D JL˪ D W BethelUniversity.edu/Give and GHVLJQDWLQJ \RXU JL˪ WRZDUG ò*RRGPDQ 5HQRYDWLRQ ó BY ,&/ '08 CELEBRATING HOMER DREW DICK ARMINGTON 19 FALL 2021