Joshua Hersch will embark on his seventh season with the Hamline University women's basketball program, and his second as head coach in 2024-25.
He joined the Hamline women's basketball program as an assistant coach on April 16, 2018, and held that role for five seasons before being promoted to head coach. The Pipers accumulated a 67-43 overall record with Hersch as the top assistant coach, which included a 37-16 mark over the last two seasons. Hersch helped mold seven MIAC All-Conference selections, one D3Hoops.com All-Region honoree, one MIAC Defensive Player of the Year, two MIAC All-First Year Team accolades, and one MIAC All-Playoff Team member over his five seasons as assistant coach. The Pipers achieved a program-record 19 victories in 2021-22, and notched their highest MIAC Tournament seed ever at No. 3 in 2022-23.
From 2013-2016, Hersch served as the top assistant coach for the women's basketball program at Augsburg under the late Bill McKee. He played a major role for the Auggies as they racked up the most wins in school history, including their first-ever trip to the MIAC playoffs and a first-ever MIAC playoff win. In addition to serving as the recruiting coordinator for the program, he was in charge of fundraising, alumni relations, and coordinated the team's social media outlets. He also served as the Director of Intramurals during his time at the school.
Before coaching at Augsburg, Hersch was an assistant women's coach at St. Thomas from 2011-2013. The Tommies finished 31-2 during his first season, going undefeated in MIAC play and finishing third overall in the country. The program won the MIAC playoff championship and qualified for the NCAA D-III national tournament in both his seasons on staff.
Hersch has been heavily involved in the AAU basketball scene since 2011, coaching for the Minnesota Stars AAU Basketball Club, one of the largest elite level clubs in the Midwest. In 2016 Hersch took over the role of Operations Director for the Stars in addition to continuing to coach multiple top-level teams that travel and compete nationally. He was named AAU Coach of the Year by
Prep Girls Hoops in 2017 for his efforts.
He started his coaching career as the head JV and assistant girls' varsity basketball coach at Cretin-Derham Hall High School in St. Paul in 2007.
Hersch, a native of Hawley, Minnesota, has a B.S. in Physical Education from Augsburg.
|
Hersch Year-by-Year
|
|
Year
|
School
|
Position
|
Overall
|
Pct.
|
Conf.
|
Pct.
|
MIAC Finish (Tournament)
|
NCAA Postseason
|
|
2011-12
|
UST
|
Asst Coach
|
31-2
|
.929
|
22-0
|
1.000
|
1st (Champions)
|
Final Four (3rd Place)
|
|
2012-13
|
UST
|
Asst Coach
|
24-6
|
.800
|
18-4
|
.818
|
2nd (Champions)
|
Round of 16
|
|
2013-14
|
AUG
|
Asst Coach
|
12-13
|
.480
|
9-13
|
.409
|
7th
|
|
|
2014-15
|
AUG
|
Asst Coach
|
15-12
|
.556
|
9-9
|
.500
|
6th (Semifinals)
|
|
|
2015-16
|
AUG
|
Asst Coach
|
14-11
|
.560
|
9-9
|
.500
|
7th
|
|
|
2018-19
|
HU
|
Asst Coach
|
13-12
|
.520
|
8-10
|
.444
|
7th
|
|
|
2019-20
|
HU
|
Asst Coach
|
15-11
|
.570
|
10-10
|
.500
|
5th (Quarterfinals)
|
|
|
2020-21
|
HU
|
Asst Coach
|
2-4
|
.333
|
2-2
|
.500
|
Covid (No Playoffs)
|
|
|
2021-22
|
HU
|
Asst Coach
|
19-7
|
.731
|
16-5
|
.762
|
4th (Semifinals)
|
|
|
2022-23
|
HU
|
Asst Coach
|
18-9
|
.667
|
14-8
|
.636
|
3rd (Semifinals)
|
|
|
2023-24
|
HU
|
Head Coach
|
12-13
|
.480
|
10-10
|
.500
|
6th (Quarterfinals)
|
|
|
2024-25
|
HU
|
Head Coach
|
19-8
|
.704
|
13-5
|
.722
|
3rd (Semifinals)
|
|
|
TOTALS
|
|
|
194-108
|
.644
|
140-85
|
.622
|
|
|
