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Ted Huber, the head football coach at Warsaw Community High School from 1988 to 1994, passed away last Tuesday. He was 83 years old.
Along with the Tigers, Huber also served as the head coach at Hamilton Heights, Norwell and Bloomington South. He also spent time coaching at the college level at his alma mater Ball State, Northern Illinois as well as on Lee Corso’s staff at Indiana.
During his time at Warsaw, Huber was assisted by longtime Tiger coach Dave Baumgartner, who spoke very highly of their time together.
“Ted’s contribution to high school football in Indiana really can’t be measured,” Baumgartner said. “You can go across the state of Indiana and they’ll all say great things about Ted. He was a coach’s coach, an encyclopedia of knowledge. He would help other coaches whenever he possibly could, in whatever capacity he could.”
At Warsaw, Huber won 31 games, placing him fifth all-time on the Tiger victory list. But, his contributions to the program stretched far beyond scoring points on a Friday night.
“Like all of the good coaches, it goes beyond the Xs and Os. It’s how they impact kids' lives,” Baumgartner said. “You couldn’t have played for Ted or been in his program without it impacting you in some way. His main mantra was ‘do the right thing’ and that’s rock solid stuff. We were always a close coaching staff, which is integral to running a good team.
“He was there for the right reasons. He wanted to win all the games, sure, but he also wanted to develop good human beings as much as he wanted to develop good football players.”
Some of Huber’s contributions to Warsaw football are still making an impact today.
“He ran a very calm, well-organized sideline. We had a sideline drill that we used to keep things in check. When I went on to coach freshman football, I had them do it too,” Baumgartner said. “Now, Bart [Curtis] practices it every Thursday night.”
Along with his long and illustrious coaching career, Huber was deeply involved with the Indiana Football Coaches Association (IFCA), serving as both president and executive secretary. He was also a historian of the game that worked to preserve the stories of coaches throughout the state’s history.
In 2023, with Huber long retired from coaching, he and Baumgartner started the official podcast for the IFCA. The weekly show featured many interviews with coaches across the state talking about how they built and ran their programs. Baumgartner says he plans on rejuvenating the now dormant podcast in honor of Huber.
The IFCA put out the following statement after learning of Huber’s passing:
“It is with deep sadness that we mourn the passing of Ted L. Huber, a legendary football coach, mentor, historian and leader whose influence on Indiana football – and the coaching profession as a whole – will never be forgotten. Ted passed away leaving behind a legacy defined by service, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to both the game and the people within it.”
Huber graduated from Bremen, where he was a 12-time letterwinner across four sports. He then went on to play both baseball and football at Ball State. His decades-long career in athletics spawned numerous awards and honors. Huber is a member of the Bremen Hall of Fame, the Ball State Hall of Fame, the Indiana High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame, and the National Coaches Hall of Fame.
On February 1, high school football stadiums around the state will leave their lights on from dusk until dawn in remembrance of Huber.
“His legacy will be taking his deep love of the game and paying it forward. Teaching young people not just how to play the game well but how to play it the right way,” Baumgartner said. “His legacy is the impact he made on thousands of people, and that’s why he’ll be remembered forever.”
