[10] The Wheels folded after the 1974 season, and Hoeppner was selected by the Charlotte Hornets in a WFL dispersal draft in October 1974.

Hoeppner's first job as an assistant coach was at his alma mater, Franklin College, where he served as defensive coordinator.

He was also able to retain his positions after head coach Tim Rose was replaced prior to the 1990 season by the late Randy Walker.

Hoeppner was instrumental in the development of several NFL players, including JoJuan Armour, Dustin Cohen, and Sheldon White.

The RedHawks were coming off a 10–1 season, and returned several starters including record-breaking running back Travis Prentice, but were only able to post a 7–4 record.

The dropoff was attributed in part to Hoeppner's installation of an open passing attack, rather than the running game Walker had used in the past.

The change ended up paying dividends later, as Miami earned a 48–25 overall record under Hoeppner and finished among the top three in the Mid-American Conference East in each of his six years at the helm.

In September 2006, Hoeppner required additional brain surgery, causing him to miss two weeks of the regular season.