Rich Herrin, Mike Rude To Be First Inductees Into Southern Illinois High School Coaches Hall Of Fame

Press Release from the Southern Illinois Miners 

The Southern Illinois Miners announce that basketball coach Rich Herrin and football coach Mike Rude are the first inductees into the Southern Illinois High School Coaches Hall Of Fame, presented by Southern Illinois Healthcare. They will be honored in a pregame ceremony on the field before the Miners game against the Florence Freedom on Tuesday, May 30th at Rent One Park at 7:05 p.m.

As a high school coach, Rich Herrin collected a remarkable 677 wins on the hardwood, going 95-17 in four seasons at Okawville High School and 521-192 in 25 seasons at Benton High School before capping his high school coaching career off with 61 wins in five seasons at Marion High School from 2002-07. Herrin, who has been on the sidelines for over 50 years, completed his fifth season as head coach at Morthland College in West Frankfort this past winter, and led the school to its first-ever national championship in 2016. In addition, he coached for 13 years at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, with a 225-174 overall record, two Missouri Valley Conference regular season titles and three MVC Tournament titles resulting in three NCAA Tournament appearances from 1993-95. The Salukis also made the NIT four times under Herrin.

Overall, covering both his incredible high school coaching career and his time in the collegiate ranks, Herrin, a native of Bridgeport, owns 978 total wins.

Mike Rude has coached Illinois high school football for 47 years, and has an overall coaching body of work that spans 49 years. A seven-time Coach of the Year honoree, Rude has paced the sidelines for Wyanet High School, Bishop McNamara High School, Anna-Jonesboro High School, Marion High School, Johnston City High School and Vienna High School as well as Morthland College. He was the youngest coach ever to be inducted into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Hall of Fame in 1995, and coached 19 teams in class 2A, 3A, 4A and 5A to the state playoffs. His Johnson City teams set a conference record of 26 consecutive wins that still stands today, and Rude has also coached one McDonald’s High School All-American, 11 Chicago Tribune All-State selections and three Southern Illinois Players of the Year.

In addition, Rude originated the football programs at Vienna High School (2007) and Morthland College (2014). A graduate of Christopher High School, he currently is the all-time winningest football coach at Vienna and Johnson City High Schools, and was also the winningest coach at Marion High School upon his departure.

For tickets to Tuesday’s game, contact the Miners’ box office at (618) 998-8499 or online at southernillinoisminers.com.

The Southern Illinois Miners are the 2016 Frontier League West Division Champions, the 2014 and 2015 Frontier League East Division Champions and the 2012 Frontier League Champions. They have been awarded the Frontier League Organization of the Year award three times since their inception, and also set a new Frontier League attendance record in 2007, their inaugural season. For ticket information, contact the Rent One Park box office at (618) 998-8499. For any additional information, visit our website at www.southernillinoisminers.com.