Men’s Basketball: Statement From Head Coach Bob Marlin On The Death Of Incoming Freshman Guard Herma

Last night at about seven o clock, our program was dealt a severe blow when we heard about the passing of one of our incoming freshmen, Herman Williams, who had collapsed and died suddenly while playing basketball yesterday afternoon in his hometown of Marianna, Florida. He was a very bright young man with a very bright future. He had a bounce in his step, he had a smile that was contagious and he loved the Ragin  Cajuns. He was going to be a perfect compliment to our team, both as a person as well as a basketball player.

 We are very saddened by this unexpected loss and it has hit our program hard. Herman celebrated a 19th birthday on Sunday and was scheduled to be here (in Lafayette) on July 5 for his second summer session. (Former assistant) Coach (Gus) Hauser and I talked with him yesterday afternoon, and then we got this awful news last night. It s a very difficult time for our program and I would appreciate all of our fans keeping Herman, his family and our Ragin  Cajuns basketball family in your thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks.