Hill-Murray has created a maelstrom among some of its most loyal alumni with the school’s decision to move on from longtime girls basketball coach Erin Herman.
One of seven active coaches with 600 career wins, Herman has taken nine teams to the state tournament, most recently in 2023, Her Pioneers teams were the Class 3A runners up in 2010 and 2011.
When reached by text, Herman declined to comment, and school officials including president Melissa Dan, athletics director John Pohl and communications manager Elise Langenfeld have not returned phone messages or emails requesting comment, but the Pioneer Press has obtained 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.”
In January, Herman’s team beat South St. Paul, 67-39, to earn the coach her 600th career victory. The Pioneers (22-7) lost to DeLaSalle, 69-65, in the section final.
“What’s happened here isn’t just wrong; it’s a heartbreaking failure to honor a legacy built on excellence, strength, and decades of unwavering dedication,” program alumna Nicole Persby Giefer said in an email to the Pioneer Press. “Erin Herman is Hill-Murray basketball. More than that, she’s a transformative force in the lives of hundreds of young women who have passed through her program.”
Hill-Murray’s decision has set off a chain reaction among alumni who played for Herman, as well as others in the Pioneers and coaching community. Herman just finished her 36th year with the Pioneers and has been inducted into the Minnesota Girls Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame.
“Coach Herman’s termination marks not only the end of an era — but a heartbreaking and bewildering decision that has shaken the very foundation of the Hill-Murray basketball program,” former player Corrine McCallum said in an email to the Pioneer Press.
“Her influence extended far beyond the court,” McCallum said. “Under her leadership, Hill-Murray Girls Basketball wasn’t just a program — it was a family, built on grit, excellence, and unwavering commitment to her players.”
In his letter to faculty and staff, Reeves said the school “will soon begin the search for our next Girls Basketball Coach, who will continue to build on Hill-Murray’s commitment to excellence and tradition.”
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