Commentary: Remembering Rich Herrin, a southern Illinois (and Southern Illinois) basketball great

For multiple reasons, it's a shame the coronavirus pandemic forced cancellation or postponement of holiday high school basketball tournaments this week.

Rich Herrin stories almost certainly would have been plentiful in the bleachers and in the hospitality rooms, particularly south of Interstate 70.

The legendary Herrin died late Christmas Day. He was 87 and had been ill recently, according to sources.

Starting in 1956, Herrin amassed 981 victories as a boys high school and men's college basketball coach in southern Illinois. Most of those victories came at the high school level. He began his preps career at Okawville and finished it at Marion.

But beginning in 1960, Herrin spent 25 years at Benton, where his record was 521-192.

Under Herrin, Benton won 21 regional titles, eight sectionals and advanced to the state quarterfinals five times. Of those state appearances, three came in the single-class format and two came in the two-class system — one in Class A (small schools), one in Class AA (big schools).

That first state trip for Herrin at Benton was in 1961, when the Rangers gave state-ranked Manual a scare before they lost 54-51 in overtime. The Rams from South Peoria went on to finish fourth.

A few years after that, Herrin coached future Illinois State University, U.S. Olympic Team and NBA star (and NBA coach) Doug Collins.

Herrin's career at Benton set the stage for more familiarity with Peoria. And for college basketball fans to become familiar with him.

In 1985, Herrin was named head coach at Southern Illinois in Carbondale. Not often does a high school coach, no matter how successful, go directly to the top job at a Division I college.

But southern Illinois as a region is unique in its state. The culture is more like Kentucky or Tennessee, not like the Midwestern vibe typical in the rest of Illinois.

High school basketball also was king without question in the south, perhaps more popular and competitive than SIU was when Herrin was hired. The program was at an ebb.

But a rookie college coach in his early 50s led a renaissance.

Over 13 seasons at SIU, Herrin's record was 225-174. The Salukis' 1989 National Invitation Tournament berth began a seven-year postseason streak.

In 1993, SIU won the first of three consecutive Missouri Valley Conference tournaments and resulting NCAA tourney bids.

Former Journal Star sports reporter Dave Reynolds covered those Herrin-coached SIU teams, which played Bradley at least twice annually in the Valley. Reynolds retired this month after 30 years on the Bradley beat.

According to Reynolds, Herrin was old school to the core.

"Unlike most coaches who go into their locker-room bunker before games only to emerge shortly before tipoff, you could chat with Herrin about everything and anything while the teams were warming up," Reynolds stated. "Then he'd move on to converse with another person he knew on the sidelines."

Sometimes it would be difficult to understand Herrin, whose accent was as thick as a T-bone. That was a result of his southern Illinois upbringing, mostly in Bridgeport, located near Vincennes, Ind.

He communicated well enough to recruit to SIU some of the best southern Illinois high school players – including Kent Williams, Shane Hawkins, Paul Lusk, Randy House and Troy Hudson, according to Reynolds. But Herrin also recruited well in larger hoops hotbeds, like Chicago and St. Louis.

After his SIU stint ended, Herrin coached sporadically into his 80s, at Marion and lastly at now-defunct Morthland College in West Frankfort. That city near Benton is where Nick in the Morning met Herrin, at a charity golf outing almost four years ago.

Herrin was frail but sharp. When we reminded him about a Bradley victory at SIU during his first season there, a comeback led by Braves great Hersey Hawkins, Herrin remembered it in detail.

He still seemed upset about an apparent miscommunication regarding who was supposed to take the last SIU shot.

Reynolds last saw Herrin during another Bradley game in Carbondale.

"He didn't look much different from his last SIU game in 1998. And I still couldn't understand half of what he said," Reynolds stated half-jokingly.

"Rich Herrin is a true institution in the entire southern Illinois region and will be greatly missed."

Funeral services were scheduled for Wednesday in Benton.