COACH ADDS COLOR TO PREP GAMES : HERRICK SPICES BROADCASTS WITH HUMOR, INTENSITY.

Byline: Kirby Lee Special to the Daily News

College of the Canyons women's basketball coach Greg Herrick went to college to become a lawyer. Instead he became a coach.

Herrick also has found another interest: broadcasting.

Herrick is in his fifth season moonlighting as a color commentator for high school basketball games in the Santa Clarita Valley on KBET-AM (1220) with sportscaster Barry McKeever.

``Coaching is my favorite thing to do but I would have to rank bartending and broadcasting as a close second and third,'' Herrick said.

McKeever and Herrick first met through a mutual friend while Herrick was coaching the boys' team at Hart High School. After Herrick resigned in 1992 following five seasons at Hart, McKeever approached him about joining him on his broadcast.

``I liked his flamboyancy,'' McKeever said. ``He was always outspoken and intense. That's what we want in a color analyst, somebody really loud and colorful. Greg is that and much more.''

Herrick, 43, has had his share of exposure with the media as a coach and player.

Herrick played basketball at Loyola Marymount and was the sports editor of the college newspaper. Herrick also was interviewed frequently on cable television while coaching at Cleveland High, where he led the Cavaliers to two City 3-A championships and four league titles in six seasons.

None of it, however, prepared Herrick for radio.

``I'm a big sports fan but it's a lot harder than it looks,'' Herrick said. ``The first time I was on the air alone during a postgame show, I was horrified. There is no signal when to speak. I had no idea what to do.''

But Herrick said his most difficult broadcast by far was commentating a Palmdale victory over Hart in a Southern Section playoff game in 1994 with many of his former players at Hart in the game.

``I knew the way to beat Hart is to play a zone,'' Herrick said. ``All they did was work on man-to-man in practice and they weren't ready for a zone. It was hard to be objective on the air because I knew so many of the players.''

Herrick's knowledge of the area is his biggest asset according to McKeever. The pair have a statistician to help during the broadcast, but Herrick also brings along his own scorebook to keep up with the game.

``His background and experience brings a lot to the broadcast because he knows the game inside and out,'' McKeever said. ``He knows offenses and defenses. He has a great history in Santa Clarita. He knows all the coaches, knows their strengths and weaknesses. Instead of giving them what is happening. He can give them behind-the-scenes and more information.''

Finding a halftime guest is another story.

Herrick is normally able to corral a former player, coach, athletic director or other local sports figure who might be in attendance at the game. Last week, Herrick interviewed Occidental College assistant coach Fred Cook, a former Burbank coach and Foothill League rival of Herrick's.

Three years ago, Herrick had planned to interview former Canyon football coach Harry Welch. A small problem was discovered minutes before he was to go on the air: Welch didn't come to the game. McKeever, though, came to the rescue, grabbing Herrick's father, Bob, who was visiting from the Bay Area for an interview.

``We got the real story about Greg Herrick growing up,'' McKeever laughed.

There have been other humorous moments. Last year, during a Canyon blowout victory over Valencia, McKeever and Herrick told jokes during the second half.

``We had some crazy broadcasts,'' McKeever said. ``Greg always comes to the game with one joke. He always has one joke he uses or a phrase. Every week, he has one and waits for the certain moment to bring it out.''

Herrick has yet to listen to a tape of one of his broadcasts, and he donates his earnings to charity.

In a typical week, Herrick broadcasts high school basketball games on Tuesday and Friday nights and coaches College of the Canyons games on Wednesday and Saturday evenings. But there have been conflicts.

After College of the Canyons defeated Santa Monica to go 10-0 in Western State Conference South Division play during the 1993-94 season, Herrick had to leave the postgame celebration early to attend a high school game between Saugus and Loyola.

``I got so caught up in the game, I forgot I had a high school game,'' Herrick said. ``I remembered when we were cutting down the net. I looked at my watch and I told my assistants, `Celebrate without me, I've got to go.' ''

Herrick arrived midway through the first half at Saugus High, drawing blank stares from Loyola coaches Bill Thomason and Jim Haley, both former college teammates of Herrick, as he slipped into his headphones.

``They just wondered what in the world I was doing,'' Herrick said.

Word of warning to his college pals: Don't be surprised to find Herrick serving drinks at a local bar soon.

``I've dabbled in bartending a little bit and it was a lot of fun,'' Herrick said. ``I wouldn't mind doing it again.''

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Photo

Photo: College of the Canyons women's basketball coach Greg Herrick can be heard alongside Barry McKeever on KBET-AM (1220).

Kirby Lee/Special to the Daily News