Parting ways
Hill-Murray ‘moving in a new direction’ from Herman
After 36 seasons as the head girls basketball coach at Hill-Murray High School, the school, located in Maplewood, is parting way with Erin Herman. Both the Minnesota Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press reported the dismissal today (Wednesday).
The 1980 Sherburn High School graduate became head coach of the Pioneers in 1989. Before that, she was a junior varsity coach at Appleton and Hopkins high schools.
The Pioneer Press reached Herman by text, but she declined to comment.
School officials including President Melissa Dan, athletics director John Pohl and communications manager Elise Langenfeld did not return phone messages or emails requesting comment.
The paper did obtain an email sent to faculty and staff last Friday that reads, in part, “We have made the decision to move in a new direction with our girls basketball program.”
The letter, sent by assistant athletics director and head football coach Rob Reeves, states that the Maplewood private school is “deeply grateful to coach Erin Herman for her extraordinary, 35-year career leading Hill-Murray Girls Basketball. Coach Herman’s commitment, passion, and love for the game — and her players — have left an indelible mark on our community.”
The school said in an email that the Pioneers will soon begin their search for a new head coach.
“We cannot thank her enough for the time, energy and spirit she has dedicated to Hill-Murray,” the email stated.
Herman is one of 14 coaches in Minnesota girls basketball history to reach 600 career wins, a landmark she passed in January.
The Pioneers finished with a 22-7 record this season, losing to DeLaSalle 69-65 in the Section 4AAA championship game on the Islanders’ home court.
Herman was a six-year letter winner in basketball for the Sherburn Raiders and was all-conference four years, Most Valuable Player three years, and all-state twice.
In tennis she was a three-year letter winner, three-year MVP, two-year all-conference honoree and a state tournament qualifier in 1979.
Herman was a two-sport athlete at the University of North Dakota, competing in tennis and softball. She won the North Central Conference singles title in 1982 and was doubles champion and a team champion in 1984.
Herman has been inducted into the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the University of North Dakota Athletics Hall of Fame.
State tournament trips
Trips to the state girls basketball tournament for Hill-Murray with Erin Herman as head coach.
1996
2002
2004
2010 Class 3A Runner-up
2011 Class 3A Runner-up
2012
2013
2021
2023
600 wins
There have been 14 coaches reach the 600-win mark in Minnesota high school girls basketball. Listed are number of wins, name, and school (s). If a coach is retired, the final year they coached is in parenthesis. Otherwise, they are still active.
1095: Mike Dreier, New London-Spicer
728: Wendy Kohler, Alexandria
719: Myron Glass, Rochester Lourdes (2014)
716: Pat Bowlin, St. Bernard's, Winona Cotter
694: Bill Gottenborg, Stephen, Hawley, Barnesville
689: Gary Lembcke, Norwood Young America (2023)
684: Ron Gunderson, New Prague
643: Jim Lien, Nevis, Akeley, Walker-Hackensack-Akeley
631: Brian Cosgriff, Hopkins, Minnetonka (2025)
626: Randy Myhre, Barnum (2012)
619: John Noga, Akeley, Parkers Prairie (2022)
612: Jeff Buffetta, Mountain Iron-Buhl
611: Erin Herman, Hill-Murray (2025)
605: Dick Simpson, Barrett, Brandon, Brandon-Evansville (2017)