Hall of Fame
Guard
USF Career Years: 1947-1950
Birthdate: born June 4, 1926
Hometown: San Francisco
High School: Saint Ignatius College Preparatory
Rene Herrerias was born on June 4, 1926 in San Francisco. He graduated from Saint Ignatius Preparatory in 1944 and afterwards served in the United States Navy until 1947. He then attended USF, playing for the Dons as a guard. He was said to have such a baby-face that he was often mistaken for the team’s ball boy. He was a member of the NIT Championship team coached by Pete Newell. He received All-American Honorable Mention honors in 1950. After graduating, he returned to Saint Ignatius Preparatory as Head Coach of their basketball team, leading them to four California State titles in 1951, 1954, 1955, and 1956. He also taught History and Typing at Saint Ignatius.
Herrerias left Saint Ignatius in 1956 to reunite with Newell at Cal-Berkeley as an Assistant Coach, and in 1960 he became Head Coach, when Newell became the Athletic Director. After a dispute between some of the athletes and team management, Newell on March 12, 1968. On April 11, 1968, Herrerias announced that he would resign July 1st. The Lodi News-Sentinel reported that he stated he was “leaving the program at Cal on solid footing” and that it was in the best interests of the school. Coach Herrerias was thought to have resigned because he did not want to become part of the dispute. His Assistant Coach Jim Padgett succeeded him.
After eight seasons at Cal-Berkely, he left with a 97-101 record. He became a History teacher at El Camino High School in South San Francisco.
