RIP Lou Henson

[HCCForever]

Louis Ray Henson was a college basketball coach. He retired as the all-time leader in victories at the University of Illinois with 423 victories and New Mexico State with 289 victories. Overall Henson won 779 games, putting him in sixteenth place on the all-time list.

 

[gtcam]

He had some really nice teams at Ilini but they never panned out except that late 80's team that had Kendall Gill, Marcus Liberty, Nick Anderson, Kenny Battle and Larry Smith (plus a few others I have forgotten. I remember them beating Cuse to get to Final Four and should have bested Michigan in semis but some bad calls killed their momentum and lost by 1 or 2. God, I remember that game like it was yesterday. RIP Coach Hairdo

 

[bazzdog]

I sat right behind Illinois bench when we played them at HCC in 94/95.
Ray pinned someone’s shot on the board and I jumped up screaming. Lou turned around and we caught eyes. He looked perplexed....

 

[boog204]

He had some really nice teams at Ilini but they never panned out except that late 80's team that had Kendall Gill, Marcus Liberty, Nick Anderson, Kenny Battle and Larry Smith (plus a few others I have forgotten. I remember them beating Cuse to get to Final Four and should have bested Michigan in semis but some bad calls killed their momentum and lost by 1 or 2. God, I remember that game like it was yesterday. RIP Coach Hairdo

That team was a really cool collection of talent. They would have won the natty that year if they had didn't get jobbed.

 

[TyroneShoo]

Those Illinois squads were fun.
Nova knocked em out in 88...right before knocking off Kentucky (Rex Chapman was a legit). That was Rollie's last good run.

 

[UConnKev]

He was a legend at New Mexico State and during his second stint at the school he originally signed a contract for $1. I was there for his last season before Reggie Theus took over. From all accounts, he was as genuine as they come and he will be missed.