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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
3Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Richard
4E. "Rich" Herrin, who passed away on December 25, 2020; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Rich Herrin attended several grade schools and
6graduated from Bridgeport High School in 1951; he graduated
7from McKendree University in Lebanon in 1956, where he earned
811 varsity letters in basketball, track, golf, and baseball; he
9received his master's degree from Southern Illinois University
10Carbondale (SIU) in the summer of 1962; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Rich Herrin married Martha Sue Cooksey on December
1221, 1957, whom he met accidentally at a SIU football game in
13the fall of 1956; and
 
14    WHEREAS, Rich Herrin's career began in the small community
15of Okawville in the fall of 1956; he taught and coached the
16Rockets for four years, where he had great success with a team
17of talented and dedicated young men; he and his family moved to
18Benton in the summer of 1960, where he began a 25-year span of
19exciting and successful teaching and coaching the Rangers,
20compiling an astonishing record number of wins that led to 21
21regional tournament wins and five trips to the state
22tournament; in 1982, the Benton High School gymnasium was named

 

 

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1in his honor; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Rich Herrin began his college coaching career at
3SIU in 1985, leading the Salukis for 13 years; he was named the
4Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Coach of the Year in 1990 and
5led the Salukis to their first and only three-peat by winning
6the MVC Tournament three times in a row, which allowed the
7Salukis to play in the NCAA tournament three times, in 1993,
81994, and 1995; in 2002, he began coaching for the Marion
9Wildcats for five years; he finalized his 52-year coaching
10career at Morthland College in West Frankfort, coaching five
11more years, where he won the Christian College National
12Invitational Tournament Championship in 2016; and
 
13    WHEREAS, By the end of his career, Rich Herrin had amassed
14an amazing total of 981 victories; many of his players earned
15college scholarships; a large number of his players became
16basketball coaches, and several played in the NBA; besides his
17loving family, the impact he had on so many young lives is one
18of his greatest legacies; and
 
19    WHEREAS, Rich Herrin received many honors during his
20illustrious career; in addition to the St. Louis Sports Hall of
21Fame and the Southern Illinois Coaches Hall of Fame, he was
22inducted into several other halls of fame, including those of
23McKendree University, SIU, the Illinois Basketball Coaches

 

 

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1Association, and the Missouri Valley Conference; and
 
2    WHEREAS, Rich Herrin was known throughout most of his life
3as "Coach Herrin" and taught his players many skills, both on
4and off the basketball court; and
 
5    WHEREAS, Rich Herrin dedicated decades of his life in
6service to the youth of Southern Illinois and had a lasting
7impact on the lives of his players, students, family, and
8friends; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Rich Herrin was a treasured husband, father,
10grandfather, coach, and friend; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Rich Herrin was preceded in death by his parents;
12his brother, Ron; his mother-in-law and father-in-law,
13Elizabeth and Ben Cooksey; his brothers-in-law, Glen Zilmer and
14Jack Richey; his niece, Tara (Zilmer) Kaiser; and his
15great-nephew, Cameron Herrin Vennard; therefore, be it
 
16    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
17HUNDRED FIRST GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
18we mourn the passing of Coach Richard E. "Rich" Herrin and
19extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all
20who knew and loved him; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
2presented to the family of Rich Herrin as an expression of our
3deepest sympathy.