About 10 minutes into the 2000 movie The Replacements, Gene Hackman’s character asks Keanu Reeves’ washed-up quarterback Shane Falco if he knows who he is.

“You’re that old coach from the ’80s,” Falco says.

Hackman, who passed away on Thursday at age 95, hadn’t acted in the last 20 years, but his legacy brings back memories for generations of filmgoers filled with beloved roles and characters.

It’s tough to summarize his career in just a few films, but sports fans will remember two particularly well, especially the homage from Falco to the 1986 classic Hoosiers, featuring Hackman as Norman Dale, a fictional high school coach in 1950s Indiana.

If The Replacements earned a cult following, Hoosiers remains one of his most iconic performances. Both characters guide downtrodden teams to anticipated movie successes, but Hoosiers unfolds its story with more subtlety.

Hackman was adept in various roles including a cop, lawyer, cowboy, soldier, hero, and villain; however, he was always right as a coach. As early as 1969, he portrayed Robert Redford’s ski coach in Downhill Racer, exuding toughness, authority, and respect - along with a memorable quotability.

“My team is on the floor,” Coach Dale famously tells the official who expects him to replace a ejected player during his team’s first game.

Dale was relentless in insisting his team pass the ball four times before attempting a shot, making his point by continuing the game with fewer players.

“It was Dentyne,” Buddy Walker of Hickory High responds under pressure, long after his coach had instructed him to play such steadfast defense that he learns the brand of gum his opponent is chewing.

Hoosiers was set decades earlier, yet felt revolutionary. It highlighted meddlesome parents and sponsors, the fear of young athletes peaking at a tender age, and rapid musical montages showcasing a team’s steady improvement. I still cherish those small details: the actor portraying Principal Cletus Summers, Sheb Wooley, once sang The Purple People Eater in the 1950s, and the assistant coach who declares Coach stays! is also the same Mountie who admonishes, I disapprove of your methods in The Untouchables.

Hoosiers stood in the midst of a remarkable five-year span of sports films, flanked by The Natural and leading up to Bull Durham and Field of Dreams. Many would argue that Hoosiers ranks among the best, still stirring goosebumps during the state final regardless of how many times viewed. Much of this impact rides on Hackman, embodying a flawed character who must win over the audience like he does with the team and town.

Sadly, we lost Hackman on Thursday but gained a chance to remember him through the onslaught of social media sharing clips from his extensive and diverse career, encompassing memorable films and scenes once forgotten, reminiscent of Hackman himself. Think about his exchanges with Denzel Washington in Crimson Tide, his playful Lex Luthor in the Superman series, or the thrilling car chase in The French Connection.

I rented Hoosiers for $3.95 on Thursday, and it remarkably endures nearly 40 years later, outlining the blueprint for many subsequent sports films. You recognize Hickory will inevitably snag the unattainable championship, yet you still watch the veteran coach from the ’80s.

Although sports was just a fraction of his extensive body of work, Hackman’s portrayal as Norman Dale remains irreplaceable.