Rick Herdes
Men's Basketball Head Coach
Rick Herdes (Noble, Illinois) has USI basketball fans looking forward to each March. Herdes has steered the Screaming Eagles to five NCAA Division II Tournament appearances and a 173-52 (.768) overall record during his seven years.
USI, under Herdes' direction both as a head coach and assistant, has reached the 20-win mark 15th times in 16 years and won 25-or-more games five times in last seven season.
In 2006-07, Herdes was named the GLVC Coach of the Year after guiding the Eagles to a 29-6 overall record, 14-5 GLVC mark, and their second GLVC Tournament title in three seasons. The Eagles also captured the GLVC West Division crown for a third straight season and became the first team to win three Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic crowns.
Herdes' Eagles also advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA II Great Lakes Region Tournament for the fifth consecutive season. He also had won more games in six years at USI than any coach in the history of the program.
The 2005-06 version of Herdes' Screaming Eagles was 27-7 overall, tied for first in the GLVC West Division, won the Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic, and advanced to the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Final for the third time four seasons. He also directed the team to its 14th straight 20-win season and the fourth straight year with 25-or-more wins.
The 29 wins in 2006-07 has USI ranked seventh among NCAA Division I, II, and III men's basketball programs with 25.9 victories per season since 1992-93.
In 2004-05, Herdes' Eagles won the programs first-ever GLVC Tournament championship and the ninth conference regular-season championship. USI's 17-game winning streak was the longest in the history of the program, while the 18-2 league record is tied for first all-time in the history of the program and third all-time in the GLVC for victories in a year.
During 2003-04, Herdes directed the Screaming Eagles back to Division II's
center stage as the NCAA II Elite Eight finalists and the Great Lakes Regional
Champions. He was named the Division II Bulletin Coach of the
Month for December when he led the Screaming Eagles to an 11-0 record last
year and to the program's seventh NUMBER ONE ranking in 10 seasons. Herdes'
Eagles also finished the season one win short of the school record with a 28-7
overall mark.
In his second season at the helm of the men's basketball program, Herdes took the Screaming Eagles back to the big dance and to within three-point range of the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
Herdes directed the Eagles to a 25-7 overall record, a 16-4 mark in the GLVC, and the Great Lakes Regional finals after defeating #1-ranked Michigan Tech University in the semifinals. The squad, which also boasted an honorable mention All-American, two All-Region performers, and three All-GLVC players, advanced in the Sweet 16 of the national tournament for the seventh time in nine seasons.
In his first season at the helm, Herdes had a record-tying year. The Eagles posted a 22-8 overall record, tying the USI record for wins by a first-year coach. He also led the Eagles to a fourth-place finish in the Great Lakes Valley Conference with a 14-6 mark, advancing to the semifinals of the league's post-season tournament.
Herdes had been with USI for nine seasons as an associate head coach and assistant coach before being tapped for the top position in 2001. The native of Noble, Illinois, is widely known as one of the best recruiters and top coaches in Division II basketball. The Eagles’ successes since Herdes’ arrival reflect his abilities.
In his nine seasons as an assistant at USI, Herdes helped direct the Eagles to a 231-46 overall record (.833), the 1995 NCAA II National Championship, the 1994 NCAA II National Championship game, three Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships, nine consecutive NCAA II Tournament appearances, and nine straight 20-win seasons. USI has averaged over 25 victories a season since 1993-94.
USI’s point man on the recruiting trail,
Herdes brought in nearly all of the key players who contributed to USI
becoming a national power in Division II. Some of those key recruits were
two-time NABC/NCAA Division II Player of the Year Stan Gouard, All-American
and GLVC Player of the Year Chad Gilbert, Division II Bulletin
All-American Jeremy Pearson, and 2001 first team All-American Derrick Lyons.
Herdes came to USI from Southern Illinois
University at Edwardsville, where he was an assistant from 1986 to 1992. While
at SIUE, Herdes helped Head Coach Larry Graham lead the Cougars to a 127-56
(.694) record and three NCAA tournament appearances. He was responsible for
coordinating recruiting and was the academic advisor to the basketball team
and director of summer camps and fundraising events.
In 22 collegiate basketball seasons, the
programs Herdes has been involved with have a .776 winning percentage
(531-153).
In 1991 and 1992 at SIUE, he was the head coach for the Illinois Prairie State Games, Southern Open Men’s Division. His 1992 team received the silver medal.
Prior to working at SIUE, Herdes was an assistant basketball coach and physical education instructor at Lawrenceville (Illinois) High School, where he worked for former Indiana University assistant coach Ron Felling. LHS was the Illinois Class A State Champion in 1982 and 1983 and had a 68-game winning streak. Herdes was inducted into the Illinois High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1998.
Herdes graduated from Graceland College in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in education. As a player, he led Lincoln Trail College to a ninth-place finish in the national tournament and helped lead Graceland to its first-ever appearance in the NAIA Tournament.
Herdes and his wife Sarah reside in Evansville with his two children, a daughter Taylor (15) and a son Connor (12).
| Herdes at USI: | ||
| As Assistant Coach and Associate Head Coach | ||
|
9 Years |
231-46 (.834) |
|
| As Head Coach | ||
| 2001-02 | 22-8 (14-6 (GLVC) | Tied USI's season record for wins by a first-year coach; Led USI to the GLVC Tournament for the fourth straight season; Led the Eagles to its 10th straight 20-win season. |
| 2002-03 | 25-7 (16-4 GLVC) | Led USI to the GLVC Tournament for the fifth straight season and the NCAA II Tournament for the 10th time in 11 seasons; Led the Eagles to its 11th straight 20-win season. |
| 2003-04 | 28-7 (15-5 GLVC) | Led USI to the NCAA II Tournament Finals and the Great Lakes Regional Championship; Eagles are in the NCAA II Tournament for the 11th time in 12 season; USI was ranked number one nationally for the seventh time in 10 years; Eagles win 20 or more games for 12th straight season. |
| 2004-05 | 27-5 (18-2 GLVC) | Led USI to its 13th straight 20-win season and to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the 12th time in 13 years. USI also was ranked number one for the eighth time in 11 years. Directed USI to the program's longest winning streak (17), a GLVC regular season championship, and USI's first-ever GLVC Tournament championship. |
| 2005-06 | 27-7 (14-5 GLVC) | Led USI to its 14th straight 20-win season and to the NCAA Division II Tournament for the 13th time in 14 years. The Eagles advanced to the NCAA II Great Lakes Regional Championship game for the third time in four years. USI won the Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic and tied for first in the GLVC's West Division. |
| 2006-07 | 29-6 (14-5 GLVC) | Named GLVC Coach of the Year. Directed the Eagles to the GLVC Tournament championship, the GLVC West Division title, and the Disney Division II Tip-Off Classic crown. Led USI to its 15th straight season of 20-or-more wins and fifth straight year of 25-or-more wins. The Eagles also appeared in the NCAA Division II Tournament for the 14th time in 15 years. |
| 2007-08 | 15-12 (9-10 GLVC) | USI ranked in the top 10 of the preseason magazines. |
| 7 Years | 173-52, .768 (100-37, .730 GLVC) | |
Marc Hostetter Assistant Coach
Marc Hostetter returns for his seventh season as an assistant coach to Head Coach Rick Herdes. Hostetter has been a part of 327 victories both as a player and a coach.
The USI all-time leader in assists also helped lead the Eagles to 11 NCAA Division II Tournament appearances on the court or on the sideline.
Hostetter's third season as a coach was highlighted with USI's return to the NCAA II Elite Eight. The 2003-04 appearance in the championship marked the third time that Hostetter and Herdes appeared in the title game, and Hostetter's first as a coach.
Hostetter rejoined the USI program after spending two seasons as an assistant coach to Mike Leeder at Longwood College in Virginia. Hostetter helped lead the Lancers to a 23-8 overall record, Longwood’s first-ever Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference championship, and an NCAA Division II Tournament appearance.
“Marc has the complete package, both as a person and a coach,” said Coach
Herdes. “I recruited Marc to USI, and his knowledge of the system and
University as well as the league and Division II basketball is a great asset
to our program.”
"Marc has prepared himself to be a head coach and a good one," Herdes concluded.
The Lyons, Indiana, native returns to the USI team he helped lead to the 1995 NCAA Division II National Championship and a 105-17 record in his four seasons as a point guard. During Hostetter’s four seasons, the Screaming Eagles were ranked number one nationally at some point during the season in three of four seasons.
After his playing days, Hostetter joined the staff of former USI Head Coach Bruce Pearl for two seasons as an assistant coach. During his two seasons on the bench, USI finished as the GLVC Tournament runner-up twice, while making a pair of NCAA II Tournament Sweet 16 appearances.
A 1998 USI graduate, Hostetter and his wife, the former Nikki Jordan '98, have a son Leo.
Aaron Brothers enters his second season as a full-time assistant
coach and his fifth year overall with the men's basketball coaching staff.
Brothers was a graduate assistant coach at USI the last three years, while
working toward a Master of Business Administration degree.
Aaron Brothers, Assistant Coach
Prior to coming to USI, Brothers earned a bachelor's degree in business
administration from Indiana Wesleyan University and was a member of the
men's basketball program. He finished his collegiate basketball career as
IWU's third all-time leading scorer.
The Evansville, Indiana, native also was a two-sport letter winner at
Memorial High School.
