Former NMSU coach Lou Henson to be inducted into National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame

Former New Mexico State coach Lou Henson has been selected for induction into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Class.

Henson is one of eight individuals, including three coaches, that make up the Class of 2015.

“I am deeply humbled to be included in this 2015 Hall of Fame Class by the National Association of Basketball Coaches,” said Henson.

“When I began throwing a ball of rags through that handmade hoop on the side of our barn, I never could have imagined that the game of basketball would bring me to this point in my life. I have been truly blessed in many ways.”

Joining Henson in the 2015 class are players Rolando Blackmon of Kansas State, Quinn Buckner of Indiana, John Havlicek of Ohio State, Ed Ratleff of Long Beach State, Charlie Scott of North Carolina, and coaches Don Donoher of Dayton and Ceasar “Zip” Gayles of Langston.

Henson had a 41-year career as a collegiate head coach, all at the NCAA Division I level, posting a record of 779-412 with a 65.4 winning percentage.

He’s the all-time winningest coach at both New Mexico State and Illinois, and started his career at Hardin-Simmons.

Henson, a 1955 graduate of NMSU, coached 16 years in two stints for his alma mater, posting a 289-152 record. He also tallied a 423-224 mark in 21 years at Illinois and amassed a 67-36 record in four seasons at HSU.

He is currently 11th all-time in career Division I victories, and was sixth on that list when he fully retired from the floor in January of 2005.

Henson is one of only 12 coaches to take two different schools to the Final Four.

More On Henson’s Career

During his Aggie career, Henson’s teams made NM State’s only Final Four appearance (1970), 19 NCAA appearances, four NIT appearances, won two conference championships and produced five all-Americans.

His greatest season at New Mexico State was the 1969-70 season that saw the Aggies post a 27-3 campaign, falling in the national semifinal to eventual champion UCLA 95-77. However, the Aggies came back to take the NCAA Third Place game, beating St. Bonaventure 79-73.

He also led Illinois to the 1989 Final Four, directing the Illini to a 31-5 record before falling to Big 10 foe and eventual national champion Michigan 83-81 in the national semifinal.

He entered the season ranked sixth all-time in games coached with 1,191 and he was the 15th fastest coach in history to reach 700 wins. Henson is also one of only eight coaches to have 20 wins or more with two different schools. Henson ranks 16th all-time on the NCAA’s list of most Division I 20-win seasons with 20, including nine in a row.

Players that Henson coached fill Halls of Fame as well, including future NBA players Sam Lacey, Charlie Criss and Jimmy Collins at NM State, and Eddie Johnson, Derek Harper, Ken Norman, Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, Kenny Battle, Marcus Liberty, Steve Bardo and Kiwane Garris at Illinois.

“Talented student-athletes form the core of any successful team,” the humble Henson explained. “These men are truly responsible for my being here today. I can’t thank those young men enough for their hard work, dedication and loyalty to their teammates and me. Mary and I consider them part of our extended family.”

Henson first came to New Mexico State after attending Connors State (Okla.) Junior College. He was a starting guard for the Aggies under Presley Askew. Considered a defensive specialist, he averaged 5.5 points a game as a junior and nine points a contest as a senior.

He graduated NM State with a bachelor’s degree in teacher education in 1955, and added his master’s in educational administration in 1956.

Henson got his coaching start in Las Cruces, immediately landing a coaching position at Las Cruces High School after graduating. After two years as the junior varsity coach, he became the head coach. He posted a record of 145-23 and won state championship in 1959, 1960 and 1961.

He moved into the collegiate ranks at the age of 30 as the head coach at Hardin-Simmons, where he led the Cowboys to a pair of 20-win seasons, both the school record for victories in a season.

He was named the Missouri Valley Conference Coach of the Year with the Aggies in 1975 and later was named the ESPN National Coach of the Year at Illinois in 1984 and 1993 Big 10 Conference Coach of the Year also at Illinois.

In addition to his coaching duties, Henson’s legacy includes serving as the Athletic Director at Hardin-Simmons and NMSU, as well as serving as an assistant athletic director at Illinois.

Henson was instrumental in the construction of the Pan American Center and Aggie Memorial Stadium. He also led the Aggies into membership in the Missouri Valley Conference in 1970.

Following his retirement, Henson has been honored by having the playing floor at the Pan American Center named Lou Henson Court, and by College Insider selecting the top Division I Mid-Major player as the Lou Henson Player of the Year.

Henson and the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2015 will be formally inducted at an event in November in Kansas City.

++ NM State ++

Lou Henson’s Collegiate Coaching Record

Year School W- L W/L Pct

1962-63 Hardin-Simmons 10-16 .385

1963-64 Hardin-Simmons 20-6 .769

1964-65 Hardin-Simmons 17-8 .680

1965-66 Hardin-Simmons 20-6 .769

1966-67 New Mexico State 15-11 .577

1967-68 New Mexico State 23-6 .793

1968-69 New Mexico State 24-5 .828

1969-70 New Mexico State 27-3 .900

1970-71 New Mexico State 19-8 .704

1971-72 New Mexico State 19-6 .760

1972-73 New Mexico State 12-14 .462

1973-74 New Mexico State 14-11 .560

1974-75 New Mexico State 20-7 .741

1975-76 Illinois 14-13 .519

1976-77 Illinois 16-14 .533

1977-78 Illinois 13-14 .481

1978-79 Illinois 19-11 .633

1979-80 Illinois 22-13 .629

1980-81 Illinois 21-8 .724

1981-82 Illinois 18-11 .621

1982-83 Illinois 21-11 .656

1983-84 Illinois 26-5 .839

1984-85 Illinois 26-9 .743

1985-86 Illinois 22-10 .688

1986-87 Illinois 23-8 .742

1987-88 Illinois 23-10 .697

1988-89 Illinois 31-5 .861

1989-90 Illinois 21-8 .724

1990-91 Illinois 21-10 .677

1991-92 Illinois 13-15 .464

1992-93 Illinois 19-13 .594

1993-94 Illinois 17-11 .607

1994-95 Illinois 19-12 .613

1995-96 Illinois 18-13 .581

1997-98 New Mexico State 18-12* .000

1998-99 New Mexico State 23-10 .697

1999-00 New Mexico State 22-10 .688

2000-01 New Mexico State 14-14 .500

2001-02 New Mexico State 20-12 .625

2002-03 New Mexico State 20-9 .690

2003-04 New Mexico State 13-14 .481

2004-05 New Mexico State 4-12 .250

TOTALS 41 seasons 779-412 .654

*vacated by NCAA sanctions caused by a previous coaching staff