Friends, family and loved ones cheered on as each of the 2025 inductees into the College of the Canyons Athletic Hall of Fame were announced to take the stage at the COC Performing Arts Center on Wednesday.
But when the legendary Greg Herrick had his name called, the entire audience stood up and gave a standing ovation to the coach who led the Canyons women’s basketball team to 611 wins over a 30-year coaching career.
“A coach was once described as a passionate, dedicated individual who unlocks hidden potential and maximizes a team’s performance by believing, encouraging and developing,” Herrick said during Wednesday’s induction ceremony. “And that’s all I would try to do.”
Herrick was one of five honorees on Wednesday, along with former softball star Ruby Herrera, former track and field star Corey Honeycutt, former men’s basketball star Carlton Spencer and the entire 2010 men’s soccer team, which finished runner-up in the state. They made up the 10th Hall of Fame class, with the first being inducted in 2005.
Each of the individual honorees was gifted a commemorative watch, while the members of the 2010 soccer team received medals.
“The Hall of Fame is by far my favorite event that the athletic department hosts, because it brings together multiple generations of Cougar athletes, coaches, staff, fans and supporters, all in one place,” said Jesse Muñoz, director of public relations, sports information and athletic communications at COC, and a member of the Hall of Fame committee.
Originally a head coach for the boys’ basketball team at Cleveland High School in the San Fernando Valley, Herrick won two California Interscholastic Federation City Section titles and four league titles during a six-year run there in the 1980s.
After that, Herrick took a brief coaching break before landing himself an assistant coach job with the COC men’s basketball team. A Santa Clarita Valley resident at the time, Herrick eventually took over as the Hart High School boys’ basketball coach and won Foothill League titles in both years he was in charge.
Herrick was approached by longtime COC faculty member and athletic department staffer Diana Stanich after the 1992 season and was asked if he would be interested in coaching the women’s team at COC.
“I thought she was nuts,” Herrick said. “Thirty years later …”
During his 29-year run at COC — there was no season for COC in 2020-21 due to the COVID-19 pandemic — that ended with his retirement in 2022, Herrick collected 16 Western State Conference, South Division, titles and led the Cougars to 24 California Community College Athletic Association Southern California Regional postseason appearances. His 1997 squad made it all the way to the state championship game, which was won by Ventura College.
Herrick was named a WSC South Coach of the Year on 10 occasions and coached 27 all-state selections. He had 12 players honored with conference Player of the Year awards and one honored as the state Player of the Year.
The induction ceremony on Wednesday marked the fifth such time that Herrick has had his name inscribed forever in a Hall of Fame. He was inducted into the 3C2A Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2024, joining his longtime assistant, Harlan Perlman, who was inducted posthumously two years prior.
Herrick has also been honored at Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, where he played, and Cleveland High School.
“I want to thank the COC staff members for their help and guidance,” Herrick said. “You know, the people behind the scenes that you never hear about, but they’re so helpful doing what we try to do as coaches.”
Herrick then thanked his friends and family before asking his former players to stand up so they could also be recognized.
Guests at Wednesday’s ceremony were treated to a “blue carpet” experience at the PAC featuring music, photo opportunities and a memorabilia display before making their way to the auditorium for the ceremony. All proceeds from the event benefitted the college’s 17 intercollegiate athletic programs.
Ruby Herrera
A COC softball player in 2010 and 2012 — Herrera took a break in 2011 after her brother was stabbed and nearly died prior to the season taking place — she became a two-time National Fast Pitch Coaches Association first-team All-American, a 2012 3C2A All-State selection and the 2012 Western State Conference, Blue Division, Player of the Year, in addition to helping Canyons win two conference championships.
Herrera was part of the 2012 squad at COC that won its first 18 games and finished with a 43-5-1 record, the best in program history.
She eventually went on to coach alongside her skipper, John Wissmath, during the 2013 and 2014 seasons before finishing up her playing career with the Leksand Lumberjacks in Sweden in 2014.
“I mean I can sit here and say all kinds of different things, but there’s not a lot of words that I can say besides being grateful,” Herrera said.
Corey Honeycutt
A 2008 Golden Valley High School graduate, Honeycutt became the first woman at COC to win a 3C2A individual track and field championship when she won the 800-meter race in 2010.
That honor led to her being named a Junior College All-American, another first for the COC program.
Along with that state record, Honeycutt also owns the program record in the 800-meter run with a time of 2:09.67, a mark that ranked fourth in the entire nation in 2010 and topped the leaderboard for California community colleges.
Honeycutt went on to compete in track and field at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she was named a two-time All-Mountain West selection.
“I just want to say how grateful I am to COC’s program,” Honeycutt said. “I can go on and on about coach (Lindie) Kane and how amazing she is and how she encouraged me and pushed me to win a state championship. I’m also grateful to my family — my mother, my father and my brother and my husband — for always being encouraging and supporting and just pushing me to be better at every point in my life.”
Carlton Spencer
A Harvey, Louisiana, native, Spencer helped the Cougars to two Western State Conference titles and earned back-to-back conference Player of the Year and All-State honors.
Spencer averaged 19.1 points per game as a freshman in the 2003-04 season. He is the only member of the COC men’s basketball program to be honored twice as the conference Player of the Year and as an All-State selection.
He went on to play two seasons at San Jose State University, where he averaged 14.3 points per game as a senior.
“I missed this place. It’s a home knit like family here – or should I say, ‘Familoso,’” Spencer said, referring to the nickname he and his teammates had for themselves during his freshman campaign at COC. “I don’t have too much to say, but thank you. I appreciate it. I’m honored to just be here.”
2010 men’s soccer team
The only team that was honored on Wednesday, the 2010 men’s soccer team was headed by Phil Marcelin, who wrapped up his 22nd season in charge of the program in the fall.
He led the 2010 team to the state championship game, which was played at COC, but it went the way of Mt. San Antonio College.
“This is an amazing opportunity to honor an incredible group of young men,” Marcelin said. “It’s rare that people will get just short of making the major accomplishment that we all sort of dream about, but still accomplish so many great things.”
That state championship appearance came just two years after the program finished the 2008 season with a 4-16-4 overall record and in just the eighth season of play for the program.
The Cougars finished the 2010 season with a 17-6-2 record.
“We’re up here as a team, not as individuals, not to say that’s anything more or less, but I would never be on this stage if it wasn’t for them,” said Joel Gunterman, an assistant coach on the 2010 team and a member of the 2003 team. “And I want to say, ‘Thank you, guys,’ because this is the moment I’ve always wanted, and you guys gave to me because of everything that you guys went through and everything you put up with us as coaches.”
