Lou Henson
Encyclopedia
Lou Henson is a former college basketball
coach. He retired as the all time leader in victories at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
with 423 victories and New Mexico State
with 289 victories. Overall he had 779 victories, putting him in sixth place on the all-time list.
Henson began his coaching career at Las Cruces High School
in Las Cruces, New Mexico
. Henson was head coach of the varsity
for four seasons, and won state championships in 1959, 1960, and 1961.
He started coaching at the college ranks in 1962 at Hardin-Simmons University
. In 1966, he took over at his alma mater, New Mexico State University
. In his first season at NMSU, the Aggies rebounded from a 4-22 record in the prior season to finish 15-11 and went to the NCAA Tournament
. In 1970, Henson would help lead the Aggies to the Final Four
for the only time in the school's history. Henson and future NBA players Jimmy Collins
, Sam Lacey
, and Charlie Criss
lost in the tournament semifinal to eventual champion UCLA, the third time in three years the Aggies lost to UCLA in the tournament. Henson coached at New Mexico State for nine seasons, with six trips to the NCAA Tournament and four twenty-win seasons.
In 1975, Henson moved to the University of Illinois
to replace Gene Bartow
, after Bartow left Illinois to replace John Wooden
at UCLA. He would lead the Fighting Illini
to the 1989 Final Four. Henson retired in 1996, after 21 seasons at Illinois. Henson finished his tenure at Illinois with an overall record of 423 wins and 224 losses (.654 winning percentage), and with a record of 214 wins and 164 losses (.567) in Big Ten Conference
games. The 214 wins in Big Ten games were the third highest total ever at the time of his retirement. At Illinois, Henson coached many future NBA players, including Eddie Johnson, Derek Harper
, Ken Norman
, Nick Anderson
, Kendall Gill
, Kenny Battle
, Marcus Liberty
, Steve Bardo, and Kiwane Garris
and was known for his trademark, Lou-Do
.
In 1997, Henson returned to coaching at New Mexico State, after a scandal forced the removal of the school's head coach immediately prior to the start of the basketball season. Henson coached the first season as the interim head coach with a salary of $1 USD per month, but after a successful season agreed to stay as head coach. In 2005, he retired from coaching because of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
for the same strain of lymphoma that he had battled four years previously. He was undergoing treatment in Champaign, Illinois
, where he lives in the summer.
* Record vacated due to NCAA infractions.
† Henson replaced by Tony Stubblefield 1/22/05.
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....
coach. He retired as the all time leader in victories at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
with 423 victories and New Mexico State
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
with 289 victories. Overall he had 779 victories, putting him in sixth place on the all-time list.
Henson began his coaching career at Las Cruces High School
Las Cruces High School
Las Cruces High School is the oldest high school in the city of Las Cruces, New Mexico. LCHS opened in 1954 and serves approximately 2,300 students from grades 9-12.-History:...
in Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, New Mexico
Las Cruces, also known as "The City of the Crosses", is the county seat of Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 97,618 in 2010 according to the 2010 Census, making it the second largest city in the state....
. Henson was head coach of the varsity
Varsity team
In the United States and Canada, varsity sports teams are the principal athletic teams representing a college, university, high school or other secondary school. Such teams compete against the principal athletic teams at other colleges/universities, or in the case of secondary schools, against...
for four seasons, and won state championships in 1959, 1960, and 1961.
He started coaching at the college ranks in 1962 at Hardin-Simmons University
Hardin-Simmons University
Hardin–Simmons University is a private Baptist university located in Abilene, Texas, United States.-History:Hardin–Simmons University was founded as Abilene Baptist College in 1891 by the Sweetwater Baptist Association and a group of cattlemen and pastors who sought to bring Christian higher...
. In 1966, he took over at his alma mater, New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University at Las Cruces , is a major land-grant university in Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States...
. In his first season at NMSU, the Aggies rebounded from a 4-22 record in the prior season to finish 15-11 and went to the NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
. In 1970, Henson would help lead the Aggies to the Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
for the only time in the school's history. Henson and future NBA players Jimmy Collins
Jimmy Collins (basketball)
James E. "Jimmy" Collins is a retired American basketball player and coach. He was the head coach of the men's basketball team at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 1996 to 2010. He was born and raised in Syracuse, New York, where he attended Corcoran High School. Prior to that, he was an...
, Sam Lacey
Sam Lacey
Samuel Lacey is a retired American basketball player.A 6'10" center from New Mexico State University, Lacey played 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association as a member of the Cincinnati Royals, Kansas City Kings, New Jersey Nets and Cleveland Cavaliers...
, and Charlie Criss
Charlie Criss
Charles Washington Criss, Jr. is a former American professional basketball player.A 5'8" guard from New Mexico State University, Criss began his professional career in the Continental Basketball Association, earning league Most Valuable Player honors with the Scranton Apollos in 1976, next playing...
lost in the tournament semifinal to eventual champion UCLA, the third time in three years the Aggies lost to UCLA in the tournament. Henson coached at New Mexico State for nine seasons, with six trips to the NCAA Tournament and four twenty-win seasons.
In 1975, Henson moved to the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
to replace Gene Bartow
Gene Bartow
Gene Bartow is a former men's college basketball coach. The Browning, Missouri, native coached 36 years at six universities after coaching two high schools in Missouri for six years.-High school:...
, after Bartow left Illinois to replace John Wooden
John Wooden
John Robert Wooden was an American basketball player and coach. Nicknamed the "Wizard of Westwood", he won ten NCAA national championships in a 12-year period — seven in a row — as head coach at UCLA, an unprecedented feat. Within this period, his teams won a record 88 consecutive games...
at UCLA. He would lead the Fighting Illini
Illinois Fighting Illini
The Fighting Illini are the intercollegiate athletic teams of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The University offers 10 men's and 11 women's varsity sports....
to the 1989 Final Four. Henson retired in 1996, after 21 seasons at Illinois. Henson finished his tenure at Illinois with an overall record of 423 wins and 224 losses (.654 winning percentage), and with a record of 214 wins and 164 losses (.567) in Big Ten Conference
Big Ten Conference
The Big Ten Conference is the United States' oldest Division I college athletic conference. Its twelve member institutions are located primarily in the Midwestern United States, stretching from Nebraska in the west to Pennsylvania in the east...
games. The 214 wins in Big Ten games were the third highest total ever at the time of his retirement. At Illinois, Henson coached many future NBA players, including Eddie Johnson, Derek Harper
Derek Harper
Derek Ricardo Harper is a retired American professional basketball player from the University of Illinois, who spent 16 seasons as a point guard in the National Basketball Association with the Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic and Los Angeles Lakers.-College:After graduating from...
, Ken Norman
Ken Norman
Kenneth Darnel Norman is an American former professional basketball player. Kenny was a standout forward for the Illinois Fighting Illini who was selected 19th overall by the Los Angeles Clippers of the 1987 NBA Draft...
, Nick Anderson
Nick Anderson
Nelison "Nick" Anderson is a former American professional basketball player. He attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for two years, playing on the team that reached the NCAA Final Four in 1989. That Fighting Illini team gained the moniker "Flyin' Illini" by Dick Vitale while...
, Kendall Gill
Kendall Gill
Kendall Cedric Gill is a retired American professional basketball player, now a sports analyst for Comcast Sports Net and the Big Ten Network.-Early life:...
, Kenny Battle
Kenny Battle
Kenneth R. "Kenny" Battle is an American retired professional basketball player.-High school career:...
, Marcus Liberty
Marcus Liberty
Marcus Liberty is a retired American professional basketball player.-High School:Liberty attended Chicago King High School from 1983 to 1987. During his time at King, Liberty led his basketball teams to an IHSA State Championship in 1986 and a second-place finish in 1987...
, Steve Bardo, and Kiwane Garris
Kiwane Garris
Kiwane Garris is an American former professional basketball player. He was listed as a 6'2" , 183 lb point guard....
and was known for his trademark, Lou-Do
Comb over
A comb over or combover is a hairstyle worn by bald or balding men in which the hair on one side of the head is grown long and then combed over the bald area to minimize the display of baldness. A variation of the comb over where baldness is concealed by long hair combed in three separate...
.
In 1997, Henson returned to coaching at New Mexico State, after a scandal forced the removal of the school's head coach immediately prior to the start of the basketball season. Henson coached the first season as the interim head coach with a salary of $1 USD per month, but after a successful season agreed to stay as head coach. In 2005, he retired from coaching because of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Health problems
In July 2007, Henson announced that he was again undergoing chemotherapyChemotherapy
Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen....
for the same strain of lymphoma that he had battled four years previously. He was undergoing treatment in Champaign, Illinois
Champaign, Illinois
Champaign is a city in Champaign County, Illinois, in the United States. The city is located south of Chicago, west of Indianapolis, Indiana, and 178 miles northeast of St. Louis, Missouri. Though surrounded by farm communities, Champaign is notable for sharing the campus of the University of...
, where he lives in the summer.
Head coaching record
‡ NMSU ineligible for conference championship† Henson replaced by Tony Stubblefield 1/22/05.
See also
- List of college men's basketball coaches with 600 wins
- List of NCAA Men's Division I Final Four appearances by coach