ERIE, Pa. – Two Mercyhurst athletics legends, Tom Herman and Mike Folga, will be enshrined in the Erie Sports Hall of Fame this June. Both men committed themselves to the Mercyhurst community for several decades, impacting the lives of countless student-athletes.
 
Herman is a football legend in Erie County, coaching at Mercyhurst, Gannon, and Edinboro over the last 54 years. 'Coach Herm' made his way to Mercyhurst in 1999 after stints at his alma mater, Edinboro, and at Gannon.
 
He helped the Lakers to a 2010 PSAC Championship, working with offensive lineman until 2016 before he aided the tight ends. Despite announcing his retirement at the end of 2025, Herman remains involved in the Mercyhurst football program as a defensive analyst.
 
Folga, '76 will be posthumously inducted into the hall of fame for his nearly two decades of service to the Mercyhurst hockey program.
 
Folga eventually made his way back to his alma mater in 2001 to work with the men's hockey program, freshly off an appearance in the NCAA Division I Frozen Four. He spent 18 seasons with the Lakers before he was diagnosed with cancer and passed in August 2019.
 
After his graduation from Mercyhurst in 1976, Folga began his career on the Penn State Behrend baseball staff before moving into work as a trainer and equipment manager for minor league baseball teams.
 
Following his time in baseball, Folga made his way to professional hockey where he worked for the St. Louis Blues and the New York Rangers. He even had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup for his work with the 1993-94 Rangers.