On Sunday evening, at the season-end football banquet, Don Herman announced his retirement after 32 years coaching football at the regional high school. It was the second time for the longtime coach to retire.
The respected and decorated former Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School football coach of 28 years, is coming back. High athletic director Mark McCarthy confirmed Thursday that Mr. Herman has been hired to coach the Vineyarders this fall.
On Friday night, Donald Herman stood cooly on the sidelines along with his players preparing for his final game after 28 years as head football coach on the Vineyard.
Donald Herman began coaching football on the Vineyard in 1988. This year will be his last as head coach, and during halftime at Friday night's homecoming game he will be honored by the football community, past and present.
The following was excerpted from an article written on Nov. 18, 1988 by Gazette reporter Mike Kolleth just before Coach Donald Herman’s first Island Cup Game.
The Vineyard high school football team may have suffered a disappointing finish to the season — losing 40-19 to Amesbury in the Division 3A state championship game — but there has been much to be positive about in recent weeks as the postseason awards continued to pile up.