By Jesse Muñoz/COC Sports Information Director 

Longtime College of the Canyons women’s basketball head coach Greg Herrick announced that he will step away from the program after a 30-year run that included 16 conference championships and 24 postseason appearances.

“It’s time,” said Herrick on Monday. “I just feel like now is the right time.”

Herrick first made the announcement to his players and assistant coaches before officially tendering his resignation to the college and finalizing a decision to retire from coaching.

His career at COC included 16 Western State Conference, South Division Championships (1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2016 and 2018) in 29 seasons. Canyons did not compete during the 2020-21 year due to cancellations brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Coach Herrick’s dedication and tenacity, long standing commitment to excellence over the past 30 years, and his unrelenting will to win is what burns brightest in my mind,” said COC Chancellor Dr. Dianne Van Hook. “But we must also recognize Herrick’s sustained drive and ever-present level of enthusiasm that has provided our women’s basketball program with a renewed sense of hope each season, and our student-athletes with a purpose and path toward success.”

Herrick’s teams qualified for the California Community College Athletic Association Southern California Regional Postseason in 24 seasons, including a run of 21 straight appearances from 1994-2014. In 1997, Herrick guided the Cougars all the way to the state championship game, eventually finishing runner-up to Ventura College.

“I will always be thankful and appreciative of College of the Canyons for giving me this opportunity and allowing me the freedom to build our program over the past 30 years,” said Herrick. “We accomplished a lot.”

Herrick, who was named the Western State, South Coach of the Year on 10 occasions, retires as one of the most successful head coaches in California Community College Athletic Association women’s basketball history.

“Greg has had a remarkable career at College of the Canyons, and he will be missed,” said Steve Ruys, dean of Physical Education, Kinesiology, Athletics & Recreation at the college. “He was an example around the state of how to run a successful women’s basketball program.”

In December, Herrick picked up his 600th career victory at the college with a 78-67 win over Rio Hondo College during day one of the Glendale Crossover tournament.

“This acknowledges all of the players over the course of the last 29 seasons that contributed to the 600 wins,” said Herrick moments after that game. “The players are the ones that should get all the credit because they’re the ones that did it.”

On Monday, Herrick once again acknowledged the many players that have contributed to the program’s success over the years.

“Even going back to my days at Cleveland High School, it’s been about the relationships with the players,” said Herrick, who won City Section championships at Cleveland in 1981 and 1982 and later coached at Hart High School.

“I never wanted to be the type of coach who was disliked be his players,” added Herrick, who still maintains relationships with players from his Cleveland squads, along with countless alumni from the Lady Cougars program.

Herrick leaves Canyons boasting a career record of 611-288, good for a .680 winning percentage.

Along the way his players have earned 27 All-State selections, 12 Conference Player of the Year Awards and one State Player of the Year award.

More than 40 players have transferred to continue playing at four-year schools with countless more moving on to pursue their academic goals. Several of Herrick’s former players have also moved into the coaching ranks after completing their collegiate playing careers.

“Coach Herrick loves winning, but he loves seeing the alumni from his program even more,” said COC Athletic Director Chad Peters. “Anytime a former player would come to the Cougar Cage to support the team, I always noticed Coach Herrick’s face light up. No matter how the game went, he would always stop and take the time to catch up with his former players.”

Canyons completed the 2021-22 season with a 20-8 overall record and 8-4 mark vs. conference opponents to finish second in the WSC, South Division. COC then picked up a home postseason victory over Orange Coast College in the CCCAA SoCal Regionals, before losing to host Irvine Valley College in the next round.

The Cougars finished the year ranked No. 12 in the state and No. 8 in Southern California according to the final CCCWBCA statewide coaches poll.