@bleacher-bum: True, SIU would never have dropped basketball. But I believe SIU would have moved down to D2 if Herrin's program hadn't succeeded. SIU had already started the process with the other sports. SIU cut scholarships in all men's sports except football and basketball in half for financial reasons in the mid-80s. Baseball went from 14 to 7 scholarships, for example. Those programs went back to full funding when revenue increased in the late 80s. Basketball's attendance grew to 5700 in 1988 (12 wins) and 6700 in 1989 (NIT). From 1981 through 1986 average attendance was between 2900 and 3800. Remember, a high school coach like Herrin, albeit a very successful one, was the most attractive coaching candidate SIU had for its job in 1985. 3 more years of that kind of attendance and I believe SIU would have bailed on D1.
Is this the real Mike Reis?
@kyle_saluki_17 Yes. Not going to make a habit of posting. But, when I see something...lol! Go Dawgs!
@kyle_saluki_17 Yes. Not going to make a habit of posting. But, when I see something...lol! Go Dawgs!
We appreciate it Mike. Thank you my friend
@mikereis and thus I said celebrate the man for the accomplishments.
I'm just calling out the non-sense that SIU would have dropped basketball or left the NCAA.
You know very well we haven't always supported our teams at the D1 level and there are massive debts left behind for trying to so.
Thanks for adding some history to the discussion that not all the hipsters know.
Your input is valuable in squashing some myths.
Enjoy Des Moines...in January. 😅
@bleacher-bum: True, SIU would never have dropped basketball. But I believe SIU would have moved down to D2 if Herrin's program hadn't succeeded. SIU had already started the process with the other sports. SIU cut scholarships in all men's sports except football and basketball in half for financial reasons in the mid-80s. Baseball went from 14 to 7 scholarships, for example. Those programs went back to full funding when revenue increased in the late 80s. Basketball's attendance grew to 5700 in 1988 (12 wins) and 6700 in 1989 (NIT). From 1981 through 1986 average attendance was between 2900 and 3800. Remember, a high school coach like Herrin, albeit a very successful one, was the most attractive coaching candidate SIU had for its job in 1985. 3 more years of that kind of attendance and I believe SIU would have bailed on D1.
I went to EVERY singe game (if I were on campus) from 1987-1991 while I attended SIU and also traveled to as many away games as possible. Rich Herrin definitely had a POSITIVE impact on the team as expectations changed. As with many coaches, it was indeed a time for a change at the end of his tenure, but he really did pave the way for the coaches who have followed. RIP Coach !!!!!!!
remember when he called the ncaa committee corrupt on national tv with John Saunders? that was as cringe worthy as the PT rant.
Craving a McBride Special!
remember when he called the ncaa committee corrupt on national tv with John Saunders? that was as cringe worthy as the PT rant.
I give Coach Herrin credit for calling out the NCAA Committee. They are corrupt. The NCAA has been a shit show for as long as I can remember. They have ensured the wealthy get wealthier and are taken care of......just as I'm sure the BIG MONEY CONFERENCE has taken care of the NCAA.
remember when he called the ncaa committee corrupt on national tv with John Saunders? that was as cringe worthy as the PT rant.
I give Coach Herrin credit for calling out the NCAA Committee. They are corrupt. The NCAA has been a shit show for as long as I can remember. They have ensured the wealthy get wealthier and are taken care of......just as I'm sure the BIG MONEY CONFERENCE has taken care of the NCAA.
true or not, it was an embarrassing moment.
Craving a McBride Special!
remember when he called the ncaa committee corrupt on national tv with John Saunders? that was as cringe worthy as the PT rant.
I give Coach Herrin credit for calling out the NCAA Committee. They are corrupt. The NCAA has been a shit show for as long as I can remember. They have ensured the wealthy get wealthier and are taken care of......just as I'm sure the BIG MONEY CONFERENCE has taken care of the NCAA.
true or not, it was an embarrassing moment.
You were embarrassed? I wasn't. I believe that was the year we won 27 games and didn't get invited!!!!
I thought Rich Herrin was a darn good coach! Brought in some talent to - Amaya, Carr, Timmons, Shipley, McSwain, Jerry Jones, just to name a few.
No embarrassment to be had sometimes even the coach who believes not to high after a win not to low after a loss is allowed to vent his frustration for his players who had worked so hard to get the program to that level and felt they had been jobbed just like a father protecting his children
remember when he called the ncaa committee corrupt on national tv with John Saunders? that was as cringe worthy as the PT rant.
I give Coach Herrin credit for calling out the NCAA Committee. They are corrupt. The NCAA has been a shit show for as long as I can remember. They have ensured the wealthy get wealthier and are taken care of......just as I'm sure the BIG MONEY CONFERENCE has taken care of the NCAA.
true or not, it was an embarrassing moment.
You were embarrassed? I wasn't. I believe that was the year we won 27 games and didn't get invited!!!!
I thought Rich Herrin was a darn good coach! Brought in some talent to - Amaya, Carr, Timmons, Shipley, McSwain, Jerry Jones, just to name a few.
Wasn't that the year a player was showing off and bounced the winning duck out of the rim off the top of his head?
“The hardest thing to explain is the glaringly evident which everybody has decided not to see.”
― Ayn Rand
remember when he called the ncaa committee corrupt on national tv with John Saunders? that was as cringe worthy as the PT rant.
I give Coach Herrin credit for calling out the NCAA Committee. They are corrupt. The NCAA has been a shit show for as long as I can remember. They have ensured the wealthy get wealthier and are taken care of......just as I'm sure the BIG MONEY CONFERENCE has taken care of the NCAA.
true or not, it was an embarrassing moment.
You were embarrassed? I wasn't. I believe that was the year we won 27 games and didn't get invited!!!!
I thought Rich Herrin was a darn good coach! Brought in some talent to - Amaya, Carr, Timmons, Shipley, McSwain, Jerry Jones, just to name a few.
Wasn't that the year a player was showing off and bounced the winning duck out of the rim off the top of his head?
Not sure what year but it was Freddie McSwain
@morris-saluki I do not believe Freddie McSwain was showing off on his dunk i just believe it was a freak occurrence and also that play didn't cost the Dawgs the game. There are many plays during the course of a game that change the outcome but what did change the Valley moving to a neutral court in STL and coach Herrin becoming the only coach to win 3 consecutive Valley tournaments
I don't think he was showing off either. He could jump out of the gym and his head was in the net.
@morris-saluki I do not believe Freddie McSwain was showing off on his dunk i just believe it was a freak occurrence and also that play didn't cost the Dawgs the game. There are many plays during the course of a game that change the outcome but what did change the Valley moving to a neutral court in STL and coach Herrin becoming the only coach to win 3 consecutive Valley tournaments
I just tried to find a clip of that but failed--frustrating because I know I've seen it on Youtube (as well as on TV when it happened).
McSwain absolutely was not showing off; it was just incredibly bad luck, one of the weirder plays I've ever seen.
I guess Freddie's son (Freddie Jr.) played for Indiana a few years back; most Google searches turn up links to Junior, who appears to be no slouch in the dunking department himself.
(Inflammatory political snark)
