A veteran of eight years as a head coach at the Division I level and 12 years as an assistant in the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East, Tom Herrion joined Brian Gregory’s staff at Georgia Tech in September of 2014.
“We are extremely excited about having Tom join our staff and family here at Georgia Tech,” said Gregory. “He brings a wealth of experience that will have a very positive impact on our players and program. He has an energy and passion that will not only resonate with our players, but also with our recruiting efforts throughout the ACC footprint.”
Immediately before his arrival at Tech, Herrion spent four seasons as the head coach at Marshall, where he led the Thundering Herd to a berth in the 2011 CIT and the 2012 NIT, the program’s first appearance in that tournament since 1988. He was 67-67 in his four seasons in Huntington, W.Va. He served as College of Charleston’s head coach for four seasons from 2002-06, amassing an 80-38 mark with a second-round appearance in the 2003 NIT. Herrion’s career record is 147-105.
Prior to his first head coaching stint at Charleston, Herrion was an assistant under Pete Gillen for eight years, first for four seasons (1994-98) at Providence College, where he helped the Friars compile a 72-53 record, play in two NITs and reach the elite eight of the NCAA Tournament in 1997. He moved with Gillen to Virginia (1998-2002), helping the Cavaliers to two NITs and one NCAA Tournament and a 70-49 record.
After leaving Charleston and after one year as a commentator for ESPN, Herrion served as associate head coach for Jamie Dixon at Pittsburgh, where the Panthers went 83-24 in three seasons (2007-10), played in three NCAA Tournaments and won the 2008 Big East Tournament.
“We have been extremely fortunate to have Tom on our coaching staff,” Dixon commented when Herrion was hired at Marshall. “With his talent, experience and contacts, Tom has proved to be an outstanding and valuable addition to our program. He is a well-rounded, complete coach and has assisted us in recruiting, scouting and player development.”
Herrion’s teams at Marshall were known for strong rebounding, as the Herd was ranked in the top 40 in rebounding his first three seasons, including eighth in the nation in 2011-12.
At Charleston, his first Cougar squad (2002-03) went 25-8, won the Great Alaska Shootout, earned a national top-25 ranking and made the NIT. His 25 victories marked the highest win total of any first-year NCAA Division I head coach during that season. Herrion’s teams won at least 17 games each year during his time at the helm of the College of Charleston program including a 20-9 record during the 2003-04 campaign.
Herrion began his coaching career as his alma mater, Merrimack, he helped guide the Warriors to two NCAA Division II tournament appearances in six seasons before joining Gillen at Providence.
“Tom was a tremendous assistant for me for four years at Providence College and helped us get to the Elite Eight in 1997,” Gillen said. “He also did a great job for us at the University of Virginia for four years and he is excellent in all areas of the coaching profession. He is a great family man and he is a teacher of the fundamentals.”
Herrion received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Merrimack in 1989. As an undergrad he competed in both basketball and baseball for the Warriors. He worked as a student assistant coach in 1986-87. He also served two seasons as the junior varsity coach at Cambridge Ridge and Latin High School in Cambridge, Mass.
A native of Oxford, Mass., Herrion was a three-year letterwinner in both basketball and baseball at Oxford High School. Herrion hails from a coaching family. His father, the late Jim Herrion, was a successful high school coach in the New York City Catholic League before becoming an assistant coach at Holy Cross and later the head coach at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. His older brother, Bill, is currently the head basketball coach at the University of New Hampshire (since 2005). Bill has also served head coaching stints at both East Carolina (1999-2005) and Drexel University (1991-99).
Herrion and his wife, Leslie, have one son, Robert James.
