Add another rising star to the KingCo football coaching fraternity at Eastlake - Greg Herd

Ex-EWU wide receiver spent past five seasons at Auburn Riverside, leading program to two 3A NPSL championships

After spending five seasons as Auburn Riverside football coach, Greg Herd is jumping to 4A KingCo at Eastlake in 2025. / Photo by Vince Miller

Greg Herd had built a nice thing at Auburn Riverside High School - a winning coach leading the football team and taking over athletic-director duties over the past year.

But like many coaches - and former high-level athletes - Herd sought out a greater challenge.

A week ago, Herd, 34, accepted the head job at Eastlake High School, replacing Scott Hare, who returned to Arizona after two seasons at the helm.

In his five seasons at Auburn Riverside, Herd posted a 22-21 record, bringing home a pair of 3A NPSL championships.

Now, he goes to arguably the premier football league in the state - the 4A KingCo - home to a mixture of established coaches (Tom Bainter at Bothell, Wayne Maxwell at Woodinville, Torrey Myers at North Creek) and promising first-timers (Peyton Pelluer at Skyline, Steve Botulinski at Mount Si).

And, now, of course - Class 3A powerhouse Bellevue, led by Michale Kneip, which is also in the league's top division.

"When you get off the bus, you better be ready to go," Herd said. "There are some really top-tier programs here. ... It is a heavy-hitter league."

The former FCS national champion at Eastern Washington University was an assistant coach at North Thurston, Silas and Steilacoom (where he coached projected high NFL Draft pick Emeka Egubuka, of Ohio State) before taking over at Auburn Riverside.

Known for his pass-game chops, Herd wasn't necessarily looking for another job, but was scrolling social media during the winter and saw Hare was leaving Eastlake.

A day later, he was in contact with Eastlake athletic director Sara Goldie about the job, then went through a round of interviews March 5.

Besides the school's winning tradition, what also sold Herd on the job was the overall support for Wolves' football - something he saw first-hand when he came up for a non-league game.

"The crowd, the booster club and everything that was going on - it is supported by the community," Herd said.

"With lots of success comes lots of expectations. Some see it as pressure. I see it as opportunity."

Herd is also taking the coaching job without a teaching job attached to it. He is also renting out his house so he can move to Sammamish.

"These jobs don't open very often, so I am taking a leap of faith," Herd said.

"In my head, this is a top-10 program in the state."

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