The NJCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association announced its 2018 Hall of Fame inductees, which include a pair of current coaches. Current Vincennes (IN) head coach Todd Franklin joins fellow DI counterpart Jay Herkelman of Coffeyville (KS) in this year’s class.
Todd Franklin
– Vincennes University (IN)
Entering his 21st season as a head coach at the collegiate level, Todd Franklin has been inducted into the 2018 NJCAA Hall of Fame as a member of the Trailblazers. The 2017-18 season marks the eighth at the helm of Vincennes, a span that includes five consecutive trips to the national tournament, only the second program in the history of the NJCAA to reach that feat.
Prior to the start of this season, Franklin has amassed 533 wins with a .800 winning percentage including a record of 204-36 at Vincennes. The Trailblazers reached the Elite 8 of the 2017 NJCAA tournament after winning the regular and postseason District 16 titles. During his time at Vincennes, over 100 student-athletes have received full scholarship offers to the four-year level. Franklin’s coaching presence is in full swing in the 2017-18 season as Vincennes has jumped out to a 17-0 start and a current No. 2 national ranking in the DI poll.
Franklin’s basketball coaching tenure includes stops at Southeastern Illinois, Missouri-Rolla, and Austin Peay. A former basketball player at Union College and Brescia College, Franklin holds a master’s degree in physical education from Austin Peay and a bachelor’s degree in history with a minor in athletic coaching from Western Kentucky.
Jay Herkelman
– Coffeyville Community College (KS)
With over two decades of unprecedented success, Jay Herkelman has been inducted into the NJCAA Hall of Fame. With a career winning percentage of .765, Herkelman has totaled 586 wins in his career to make him the all-time winningest coach in the Jayhawk Conference. Over the past 15 seasons, the Red Ravens have captured 12 Jayhawk East titles and have been ranked in every national poll in the 2017-18 season.
Herkelman’s career has been displayed in the national spotlight on a consistent basis. His teams have reached the NJCAA national tournament eight times along with seven Region VI titles. For his efforts, Herkelman has been named the Region VI Coach of the Year five times, the Jayhawk East Coach of the Year 13 times, and the Kansas Basketball Coaches Association of the Year five times. 52 players have moved on to four-year programs under Herkelman’s tutelage.
A native of Clinton, IA, Herkelman’s collegiate playing career began at the NJCAA level where he was a two-year starter at Southeastern (IA) before moving on to the University of Dubuque. Herkelman’s coaching career includes impressive stops at Dubuque, Fort Hays State, Eastern New Mexico University, and Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.
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