Robb Berger was fired as the high school basketball coach at Marian in Indiana. The ouster comes two weeks after he served a self-imposed suspension during the playoffs.
It stems from an unfortunate incident during practice.
The administration ultimately determined it could not allow Berger to continue on as the high school basketball coach despite his overwhelming winning record. He was let go by the school principal.
Marian High School basketball had the same coach for almost two decades.
Marian High School is located in Mishawaka, Indiana— right outside of South Bend. It is one of the top private Catholic schools in the country with a total enrollment of ~735 students in Grades 9-12.
As good as the Knights are in the classroom, they are just as good on the hardwood.
Robb Berger is the 16th winningest active coach in the state of Indiana with an overall record of 436-217 in 28 seasons as a high school basketball coach. He won 336 games with only 118 losses (.740) in 19 years over two separate stints at Marian.
The Knights have had 16 consecutive winning seasons since Berger returned to his post in 2010. They won five sectional titles and two regional titles over the course of his entire tenure with the program and played in the state championship game in 2022.
Marian most recently advanced to the Class 3A regional championship earlier this month. However, it had to play without its head coach and lost. And now he is fired.
Robb Berger was fired.
Marian self-imposed a one-game suspension for its head coach prior to the regional championship. It was not issued by the Indiana High School Athletics Association but it stemmed from a “self-reported repeat violation of IHSAA rule.”
Berger allowed “a non-member of the Knights’ staff or roster to practice with the team.” We don’t know which. Nor do we know who.
That was the beginning of the end for the 28-year head coach, who was fired earlier this week.
“Robb Berger’s service as Coach of Marian’s Varsity Boy’s Basketball team has concluded. Marian High School thanks him for his service.”
Less than seven days after Marian lost its regional championship game without Berger on the sideline, the Mishawaka Police Department confirmed it was investigating a battery complaint related to the program. It allegedly took place during a basketball practice on March 10.
According to WSBT 22 sports director Pete Byrne, “the non-rostered player in question allegedly got into a physical altercation with a current player on the team.” Names have not been released so we do not know exactly who did what.
Although it is believed that Robb Berger was not directly involved with the physical altercation, the optics of the incident and the subsequent IHSAA violation presumably led to his ouster. He will not return.