Name Rich Herrin | Role Basketball Coach | |
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Small town big deal memorial tractor drive and coach rich herrin with rodney miller and jann carl
Rich Herrin (born April 6, 1933) is a college basketball coach at Morthland College. He was head coach of the Southern Illinois University Salukis men's basketball team from 1985 to 1998. He was also one of the most successful high school basketball coaches in Illinois history, at Benton High School (Rangers), where he coached numerous renowned players, including former NBA and Olympic star, Doug Collins, Saint Louis University Walk-On Legend "Jumpin" Joe Durham, as well as former Georgia Tech great, Richard Yunkus. After SIU, he coached at Marion Illinois for some time before retiring in 2007.
He returned to coaching again in 2012 to upstart the Morthland College men's basketball program.
Herrin, the son of a Methodist minister in Bridgeport, Illinois. He played high school basketball on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday nights. Games were not scheduled on Wednesdays back then because most churches had services on that night of the week. Rich won 7 varsity letters in high school and 11 letters at McKendree College in Lebanon.
Rich had four undefeated teams in regular season play – 1966, 1967, 1971 and 1975. His Benton teams won 8 South Seven conference championships and finished second twice. Three Ranger teams advanced to the Elite 8 and four others lost out in a photo finish. Rich’s brother Ron started his coaching career at Freeburg and then moved on to Olney.