Cam Henderson
Encyclopedia
Eli Camden "Cam" Henderson (February 5, 1890 – May 3, 1956) was an American football
, basketball
, and baseball
coach in the United States
. He served as the head football coach at Muskingum College (1920–1922), Davis & Elkins College (1923–1934), and Marshall University
(1935–1949), compiling a career college football
record of 163–91–13. Henderson was also the head basketball coach at Muskingum (1919–1923), Davis & Elkins (1923–1935), and Marshall (1935–1955), tallying a career college basketball
mark of 631–242. As a coach in basketball, he originated the fast break and the 2–3 zone defense, hallmarks of the modern game.
. He graduated from Glenville Normal School in 1911.
in West Virginia. His greatest glory came during the period of 1923-34 as head basketball and football coach of Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia
. He coached during the Scarlet Hurricane Era, before the name was changed officially to Senators. Henderson coached first undefeated (22-0) W.Va. collegiate basketball team (1924–1925) at Davis & Elkins, coached first (proclaimed) D&E state collegiate football championship team in 1928 and was inducted into the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame, the West Virginia Sports Writers Hall of Fame, the D&E Hall of Fame, the Marshall Hall of Fame and the NAIA
Hall of Fame as well as elected All-Time WVIAC Coach. His first Davis & Elkins team was 8-0 in 1923, and Henderson would have one of the highest scoring basketball teams in the East during his tenure. Henderson's 1933 team won the West Virginia Athletic Conference title. His basketball teams played teams like Long Island University, under the coaching of another Marion County native, Clair Bee, and at Davis & Elkins, Henderson was 220-40 in basketball and 83-33-6 in football. His Davis & Elkins football teams beat much larger schools like West Virginia University, Army, Fordham, Villanova, George Washington and Navy.
beginning in 1935, Henderson would win 68 football games, one Buckeye Conference title (9-0-1 in 1937), send the Thundering Herd to a Tangerine Bowl
(1/1/1948 vs. Catawba College in the second-ever bowl in Orlando) and produce College Football Hall of Fame running back Jackie Hunt
, who set the national scoring mark with 27 touchdowns in 1940. His basketball teams won 368 games and won the Buckeye Conference in 1936-37, 1937–38 and 1938–39, the final year for the league. He won 35 straight home games from 1944-47 in Huntington, started the 1946-47 season 17-0, then went on to a 32-5 mark and Marshall's only National Championship in basketball in the NAIB (today's NAIA) Basketball Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri
. Henderson also sent teams to the 1938 and 1948 tournament. His 1947-48 team won the Helms Foundation's Los Angeles Invitational by knocking off Syracuse, 46-44.
Henderson's first All-American was Bill Smith in 1937 in football, Jule Rivlin in 1940 in basketball. He sent numerous players to the professional ranks, including Frank "Gunner" Gatski (Marshall 1940-42), who is the Herd's only member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
in Canton, Ohio
. Gatski went on to play in 11 title games in 12 seasons with the Cleveland Browns (1946–56) and Detroit Lions
(1957), winning four All-American Football Conference and three NFL titles with the Browns and one NFL title with the Lions. Henderson also recruited the first African-American to play at the formerly all "white" colleges of West Virginia when he signed Hal Greer
from Huntington in 1954. Greer went on to help Marshall win the Mid-American Conference title in 1955-56, then to lead the nation in scoring in 1957-58 with 88 points per game. Greer signed with the Syracuse Nationals of the NBA, but went on to greatest glory with the Philadelphia 76ers
by winning the title in 1966-67 and becoming a multi-year All-Star and MVP of the 1968 All-Star game. Greer, named as one of the top 50 players in the NBA 50th Anniversary, averaged 19 points per game (1,122 games played), five rebounds and four assists and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.
Henderson was forced to resign his football position following a 6-4 1949 season by Director of Athletics Luther Poling, but coached basketball until 1955. His championship team of 1947 was responsible for the Herd moving into the new Cabell County Veteran's Memorial Field House, a 6,500-seat arena that was Marshall's home from 1950-80. His final team in 1954-55 was 18-4, but the MAC prevented Marshall from accepting an invitation to the National Invitational Tournament. Henderson's failing health from diabetes forced him to step down after the season and he would die that summer. Wins by the football team under Henderson include beating Wake Forest 16-6 in 1941, but his basketball team had some huge wins.
Marshall had three wins during Henderson's tenure over Tennessee and Colorado, beat the Dayton Flyers 17 times and topped teams like BYU, South Carolina, Cincinnati, Long Island, St. Francis, St. Louis, Loyola, Virginia Tech, Cal, Louisville, Denver, Wichita State, Miami-Florida, City College of New York, Xavier, Indiana State, Maryland, Murray State, Western Kentucky, Kansas State, Creighton, Hawaii, Washington, Idaho, Evansville, Pepperdine, Texas A&M, Memphis (State), Southern Miss and Virginia and over 20 seasons had only one losing season, going 6-10 in his first year. Henderson's teams won 32 once and won 20 or more games seven more times. He produced the first-ever first round draft pick for the NBA, Andy Tonkovich, and produced All-Americans like Walt Walowac (two-times on Helms Foundation Teams, first in 1953, third in 1954 and scored 1,982 career points). 1947 and 1948 NAIB All-Americans included Gene James, who played in the NBA, Bill Hall, Bill Toothman, Marvin Gutshall and Tonkovich. Rivlin was on the AP Little All-American team in 1940. Charlie Slack
set a still-standing NCAA record of 25.4 rebounds per game for Henderson's final team in 1954-55, and finished his career with 1,916 rebounds and 1,551 points in four seasons. Slack and Walowac played for the Goodyear Winged Foots of Akron, Ohio, in national and international AAU contests, and Slack was an alternate for the 1960 Olympic team.
Marshall has a Cam Henderson Award for the top student-athlete and the building that houses the athletic department and the 9,000-seat Marshall basketball arena are named the Cam Henderson Center. Just last year in 2007, Emmy Award winning producer/director Deborah Novak and John Witek released "Cam Henderson: A Coach's Story" on public television and DVD to great acclaim. The film was honored with a first place Platinum Award at the Worldfest of film in Houston, Texas
.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
coach in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. He served as the head football coach at Muskingum College (1920–1922), Davis & Elkins College (1923–1934), and Marshall University
Marshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
(1935–1949), compiling a career college football
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
record of 163–91–13. Henderson was also the head basketball coach at Muskingum (1919–1923), Davis & Elkins (1923–1935), and Marshall (1935–1955), tallying a career college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
mark of 631–242. As a coach in basketball, he originated the fast break and the 2–3 zone defense, hallmarks of the modern game.
Early life and education
Henderson was born in 1890 in the town of Joe in Marion County, West VirginiaMarion County, West Virginia
| style="float:right;"|As of the census of 2000, there were 56,598 people, 23,652 households, and 15,515 families residing in the county. The population density was 183 people per square mile . There were 26,660 housing units at an average density of 86 per square mile...
. He graduated from Glenville Normal School in 1911.
Coaching the high school years
Henderson began coaching at Shinnston High School in rural West Virginia, then moved to Bristol, West Virginia, where no gymnasium existed. Henderson got the town to build a gym, but the wood was cured poorly and the roof leaked. As a result of the slippery floor, Henderson began to distribute his defenders in "zones" to avoid the slick spots. Out of this, he developed an offense of "breaking fast" off a missed basketball, with two forwards tearing down each sideline and a point guard bringing the ball up the court quickly for a number of options. Henderson is credited with the creation of the 2–3 zone defense and the fast break in basketball.Coaching the college years
Henderson eventually moved on to Muskingum College in Ohio and Salem CollegeSalem College
Salem College is a liberal arts women's college in Winston-Salem, North Carolina founded in 1772. Originally established as a primary school, it later became an academy and finally a college. It is the oldest female educational establishment that is still a women's college...
in West Virginia. His greatest glory came during the period of 1923-34 as head basketball and football coach of Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia
Elkins, West Virginia
Elkins is a city in Randolph County, West Virginia, United States. The community was incorporated in 1890 and named in honor of Stephen Benton Elkins , a U.S. Senator from West Virginia. The population was 7,032 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Randolph County...
. He coached during the Scarlet Hurricane Era, before the name was changed officially to Senators. Henderson coached first undefeated (22-0) W.Va. collegiate basketball team (1924–1925) at Davis & Elkins, coached first (proclaimed) D&E state collegiate football championship team in 1928 and was inducted into the Helms Foundation Hall of Fame, the West Virginia Sports Writers Hall of Fame, the D&E Hall of Fame, the Marshall Hall of Fame and the NAIA
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
Hall of Fame as well as elected All-Time WVIAC Coach. His first Davis & Elkins team was 8-0 in 1923, and Henderson would have one of the highest scoring basketball teams in the East during his tenure. Henderson's 1933 team won the West Virginia Athletic Conference title. His basketball teams played teams like Long Island University, under the coaching of another Marion County native, Clair Bee, and at Davis & Elkins, Henderson was 220-40 in basketball and 83-33-6 in football. His Davis & Elkins football teams beat much larger schools like West Virginia University, Army, Fordham, Villanova, George Washington and Navy.
Coaching the university years
At Marshall UniversityMarshall University
Marshall University is a coeducational public research university in Huntington, West Virginia, United States founded in 1837, and named after John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States....
beginning in 1935, Henderson would win 68 football games, one Buckeye Conference title (9-0-1 in 1937), send the Thundering Herd to a Tangerine Bowl
Capital One Bowl
The Capital One Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played in Orlando, Florida at the Citrus Bowl, and previously known as the Tangerine Bowl and the Florida Citrus Bowl...
(1/1/1948 vs. Catawba College in the second-ever bowl in Orlando) and produce College Football Hall of Fame running back Jackie Hunt
Jackie Hunt
John Seva "Jackie" Hunt was an American football fullback/halfback. He was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame in 2004. He played professionally with the Chicago Bears of the National Football League in 1945....
, who set the national scoring mark with 27 touchdowns in 1940. His basketball teams won 368 games and won the Buckeye Conference in 1936-37, 1937–38 and 1938–39, the final year for the league. He won 35 straight home games from 1944-47 in Huntington, started the 1946-47 season 17-0, then went on to a 32-5 mark and Marshall's only National Championship in basketball in the NAIB (today's NAIA) Basketball Tournament in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. Henderson also sent teams to the 1938 and 1948 tournament. His 1947-48 team won the Helms Foundation's Los Angeles Invitational by knocking off Syracuse, 46-44.
Henderson's first All-American was Bill Smith in 1937 in football, Jule Rivlin in 1940 in basketball. He sent numerous players to the professional ranks, including Frank "Gunner" Gatski (Marshall 1940-42), who is the Herd's only member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Pro Football Hall of Fame
The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame of professional football in the United States with an emphasis on the National Football League . It opened in Canton, Ohio, on September 7, 1963, with 17 charter inductees...
in Canton, Ohio
Canton, Ohio
Canton is the county seat of Stark County in northeastern Ohio, approximately south of Akron and south of Cleveland.The City of Caton is the largest incorporated area within the Canton-Massillon Metropolitan Statistical Area...
. Gatski went on to play in 11 title games in 12 seasons with the Cleveland Browns (1946–56) and Detroit Lions
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League , and play their home games at Ford Field in Downtown Detroit.Originally based in Portsmouth, Ohio and...
(1957), winning four All-American Football Conference and three NFL titles with the Browns and one NFL title with the Lions. Henderson also recruited the first African-American to play at the formerly all "white" colleges of West Virginia when he signed Hal Greer
Hal Greer
Harold Everett Greer is a retired American professional basketball player.He attended Douglass Junior and Senior High School in Huntington. He played college basketball at Marshall University and was drafted by the Syracuse Nationals of the NBA in 1958...
from Huntington in 1954. Greer went on to help Marshall win the Mid-American Conference title in 1955-56, then to lead the nation in scoring in 1957-58 with 88 points per game. Greer signed with the Syracuse Nationals of the NBA, but went on to greatest glory with the Philadelphia 76ers
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers are a professional basketball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They play in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . Originally known as the Syracuse Nationals, they are one of the oldest franchises in the NBA...
by winning the title in 1966-67 and becoming a multi-year All-Star and MVP of the 1968 All-Star game. Greer, named as one of the top 50 players in the NBA 50th Anniversary, averaged 19 points per game (1,122 games played), five rebounds and four assists and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1982.
Henderson was forced to resign his football position following a 6-4 1949 season by Director of Athletics Luther Poling, but coached basketball until 1955. His championship team of 1947 was responsible for the Herd moving into the new Cabell County Veteran's Memorial Field House, a 6,500-seat arena that was Marshall's home from 1950-80. His final team in 1954-55 was 18-4, but the MAC prevented Marshall from accepting an invitation to the National Invitational Tournament. Henderson's failing health from diabetes forced him to step down after the season and he would die that summer. Wins by the football team under Henderson include beating Wake Forest 16-6 in 1941, but his basketball team had some huge wins.
Marshall had three wins during Henderson's tenure over Tennessee and Colorado, beat the Dayton Flyers 17 times and topped teams like BYU, South Carolina, Cincinnati, Long Island, St. Francis, St. Louis, Loyola, Virginia Tech, Cal, Louisville, Denver, Wichita State, Miami-Florida, City College of New York, Xavier, Indiana State, Maryland, Murray State, Western Kentucky, Kansas State, Creighton, Hawaii, Washington, Idaho, Evansville, Pepperdine, Texas A&M, Memphis (State), Southern Miss and Virginia and over 20 seasons had only one losing season, going 6-10 in his first year. Henderson's teams won 32 once and won 20 or more games seven more times. He produced the first-ever first round draft pick for the NBA, Andy Tonkovich, and produced All-Americans like Walt Walowac (two-times on Helms Foundation Teams, first in 1953, third in 1954 and scored 1,982 career points). 1947 and 1948 NAIB All-Americans included Gene James, who played in the NBA, Bill Hall, Bill Toothman, Marvin Gutshall and Tonkovich. Rivlin was on the AP Little All-American team in 1940. Charlie Slack
Charlie Slack
Charles E. "Charlie" Slack is an American former college basketball standout from the Marshall University. He holds the National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I record for the highest single-season rebound average when he grabbed 25.6 rpg in 1954–55.Considered the greatest...
set a still-standing NCAA record of 25.4 rebounds per game for Henderson's final team in 1954-55, and finished his career with 1,916 rebounds and 1,551 points in four seasons. Slack and Walowac played for the Goodyear Winged Foots of Akron, Ohio, in national and international AAU contests, and Slack was an alternate for the 1960 Olympic team.
Marshall has a Cam Henderson Award for the top student-athlete and the building that houses the athletic department and the 9,000-seat Marshall basketball arena are named the Cam Henderson Center. Just last year in 2007, Emmy Award winning producer/director Deborah Novak and John Witek released "Cam Henderson: A Coach's Story" on public television and DVD to great acclaim. The film was honored with a first place Platinum Award at the Worldfest of film in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
.