As
I am sure most of you are aware by now, the inaugural
CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament is coming in March.
There are many impressive facets of this tournament, but one
that was of immediate interest to me was the tournament’s
Selection Committee, which includes Lou Henson.
When there is talk about the greatest coaches in recent history
Coach Henson’s name is not often mentioned, but it should be
included in any discussion. It’s actually somewhat shocking that
he isn’t talked about more, especially when you look at the
numbers.
First let’s look at the man because the only thing more
impressive then Lou Henson the coach is Lou Henson the person.
After spending time as an assistant coach at North Texas and
Parkland, Coach Henson gave me an opportunity to join his staff
at the University of Illinois. From 1987 through 1989 I learned
so much about coaching, but I also learned some things about the
man that most people do not know.
Regardless of the situation, if you ask coach Henson how he is
doing you will always get a resounding, “I am great.” Many
people take the approach that the glass is half full, but coach
Henson has always viewed the glass as being filled to the rim.
In a society with so many self-absorbed individuals, coach
Henson is a throwback. He’s a selfless individual who always has
things in perspective.
Whenever I am asked about coach Henson, two things immediately
come to mind. First and foremost is his total devotion to his
family. In recent years the sports world has taken hits from the
media for cases of extra curricular activities, but we don’t
often hear the stories of the loyal family men.
I remember reading a nice story about Mississippi State head
coach Rick Stansbury and how he takes his family everywhere with
him. The same is true of coach Henson. He and his wife, Mary,
have a special marriage that all those that know him truly
admire him for that. I have told my wife that I hope that I am
in this profession long enough to follow that path. My children
are still young, but I look forward to the day when they could
travel with me on the road.
The second thing that comes to mind is his passion for the game.
Following his brief retirement from Illinois, coach Henson spent
time playing golf and visiting with family and friends, but
there was a void. And there was a void in the coaching
profession that could only be filled by his return.
Any one of his friends will tell you that you cannot get through
lunch or dinner without coach Henson breaking out a pen and
diagramming x’s and o’s on a cocktail napkin. Aside from family,
nothing really interests him other than coaching. His attention
to detail and his insistence on consistency have always been
impressive.
In the time I spent at Illinois I gained a great appreciation
for that approach. It did not matter if we were facing a
non-conference opponent with a losing record or if we getting
ready to play in the Final Four. The preparation was always the
same. Even on those occasions when we lost, which was not often
in those days, we were always had opportunities to win. It’s
difficult for me to recall a time when we lost by ten or more
points. His preparation has always been complete.
And it’s that approach that helped to produce an impressive
coaching resume.
Before he coached his first college game, Coach Henson won 145
games in six years at Las Cruces High School, which included
three State Championships. He 1962 he took his first collegiate
assignment at Hardin-Simmons, where he spent four seasons and
turned around the fortunes of the program. He won 57 games over
the final three seasons.
In 1996 he returned to Las Cruces, but this time to coach New
Mexico State University. In his first season he took the Aggies
to the NCAA Tournament. It was the first of five straight trips,
which an appearance in Final Four in 1970. New Mexico State
finished 27-3 that season.
Nine years after taking over at New Mexico State, He moved to
Champagne, Illinois and took on the challenge of turning around
another program. It took him a little time to get things going,
but he would slowly build the University of Illinois into a
national power, highlighted by a trip to the Final Four in 1989.
The Illini finished 31-5 that season.
His career came full circle in 1997, when he came out of
retirement for a second tour at New Mexico State. Not
surprising, one year later the Aggies were back in the NCAA
Tournament.
When he came out of retirement, I remember thinking that it was
a testament to his will. The word toughness is often thrown
around in our profession, but rarely does it apply in its’
truest sense. But that’s not the case with coach Henson. In
addition to being a great family man and a tremendous coach,
most people would miss the fact that he is as tough as they
come.
A few of years ago I dropped him a note letting him know that I
thought he is a living role model for coaches and players when
it comes to toughness. We can all learn a thing or two from
coach Henson and I am fortunate enough to have learned a great
deal.
Without the opportunity that he gave me, I would not be where I
am today so it will be great to see him back on the sidelines
this weekend doing what I do.
Knowing all the great qualities of the man and his
accomplishments as a coach, including over 800 wins, it’s
amazing to me that he has not been elected to the Basketball
Hall of Fame.
I don’t think there is any doubt that he should be considered
among the best to ever coach this game. But whether he gets that
long deserved recognition of enshrinement or not, he will always
tell you, “I am doing great.”
And it’s great to see him involved with the game again, as a
member of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament Selection Committee.
The Importance of
Assistants
By John Giannini, La Salle
In corporate America
the CEO gets all the credit for a company's success. He or she
is made out to be the one person responsible for everything good
that has come to the company.
But there are always people who put in just as much time and
effort, without the glory of getting mentioned on CNN. In
college basketball we call these people assistant coaches.
With any job, you are only as good as the people that surround
you and assistants are as much a part of a team's success as the
head coach and players. To further the point, hiring an
assistant is nearly the equivalent to getting married.
People outside of college basketball may chuckle at such a
statement, but there is more truth to that statement then you
would realize.
These are the people that you will spend the majority of your
time with. They become your true family. And with any family
unit, trust and faith are so important to the harmony of the
group.
Your career and lives become so inter-twined so it is so
important to work with people that you really like.
Of course you also want a staff that is dedicated, hard working
and have the ability to recruit players, but the hiring process
should begin with one question -- do I like this person?
Many outside the coaching ranks may believe that how connected
or how many good contacts an assistant has are most important,
but I disagree.
Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun has a great approach to hiring
assistants, noting that if you are a good person you will
develop contacts. That in itself speaks volumes about coach
Calhoun and all the success that Uconn has had over the last
decade plus.
I have always been fortunate to have great assistants, which is
a big reason that I have been able to have success in coaching.
At Rowan it was Joe Cassidy that was such an important part of
us winning a Division III national championship. At Maine, Ted
Woodward filled that same role and would become the head coach
when I took the head coaching position at La Salle. But more
importantly, Ted and Joe are both good friends.
All final decisions are made by the head coach, but -- in my
case -- I always want their input. Sometimes assistants see
things a little differently and they may have a perspective that
I did not consider.
I cannot emphasize enough how much trust and faith all head
coaches must have in their assistants. They may not get the
national appreciation, but they are very much appreciated by the
head coach.
Whether it is in print form or a television monologue, many
assistants are singled out as the next great college coaches.
However it is not common to hear praise bestowed on an entire
staff.
Today it is impossible for any head coach to have success
without excellent assistant coaches. After a victory head
coaches are the first to be besieged by the media. But the first
thing we do is thank our staff for their preparation and effort.
Every year leagues, conferences and each division of basketball
have countless coach of the year awards. They should have a
staff of the year award. The head coach or the recipient of a
coaching award owes a lot to his staff. He or she wouldn’t have
that award without them.
As
I am sure most of you are aware by now, the inaugural
CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament is coming in March.
There are many impressive facets of this tournament, but one
that was of immediate interest to me was the tournament’s
Selection Committee, which includes Lou Henson.
