Professor Alva Gene Dugger, known by many as “Coach,” passed away on Aug. 2, 2014.

Professor Dugger lived up to his nickname “Coach” by helping his students through difficulties in mathematics and through his love for God.

“He really wanted you to succeed in the class,” said junior Austin Dunning. “I remember he would post your progress on the back of the room and he would get updates on the progress, he would want to know what’s going on.”

A fan of the movie “The Blind Side” Professor Dugger had a dream to start a program that helped students in need.

“He had a dream that he could get something like that started at Harding where students that struggled could be matched with local families and they could encourage them to succeed,” said assistant to the president for alumni and parent relations Liz Howell.

Howell knew Dugger for 40 years and had him as a teacher in statistics class.

“I do remember once I had a meltdown and I didn’t think that I could finish the class, and I talked to him and he assured me that I could and I was always grateful to him,” said Howell.

Besides being an encouragement in the classroom, Dugger also influenced many at College Church of Christ where he was a member.

“He was a man that knew the Bible and he didn’t hesitate to share that with anyone,” said Robbie Dunning, a member of College Church.

Professor Duggar taught mathematics at Harding University for 45 years. He was a lover of the great outdoors and enjoyed helping anyone in need. He will be greatly missed by the Harding community.