He announces his retirement at New Mexico State after spending this season dealing with illness. He leaves game with 779 wins.
Ailing New Mexico State coach Lou Henson retired Saturday, 21 wins shy of becoming only the fifth Division I basketball coach with 800 victories.
The 73-year-old Henson, in a wheelchair and frail, hasn’t coached this season. He had planned to return Jan. 8 but was hospitalized Jan. 6 because of pneumonia.
The team is 4-13 this season under interim Coach Tony Stubblefield. Henson retires with a career record of 779-413, the sixth winningest in Division I history. Henson retired at Illinois in 1996 but returned to coaching a year later.
“I have always been a very demanding coach. I expect my players to give 100% or they come out of the game,” Henson said. “I can expect no less of myself. So because I am physically unable to give my all, I am taking myself out of the game.”
Henson smiled as he greeted crowds at Fulton Athletics Center. Accompanied by his wife Mary, Henson received several standing ovations from players, school officials, longtime friends and at least two former school presidents.
Henson, whose right leg remained paralyzed as a result of his recent viral encephalitis, gingerly pulled himself from the wheelchair and stood at the podium. He called the decision to retire “an easy one” because of his health.
Henson coached last season despite being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a form of cancer. The cancer is in remission, but Henson was hospitalized in September with viral encephalitis.
“Coach Henson coached here and at Illinois with the highest level of integrity,” university President Michael Martin said. “The quality is so high that in my mind he has 8,000 wins.”
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Division I Victory Leaders
The top 10 leaders in victories among coaches at Division I schools:
*--* Coach, Schools W L Pct. Years 1. Dean Smith 879 254 776 1962-97 North Carolina 2. Adolph Rupp 876 190 822 1931-72 Kentucky 3. Bob Knight 843 326 721 1966- Army, Indiana, Texas Tech 4. Jim Phelan 830 524 613 1955-2003 Mt. St. Mary’s 5. Lefty Driesell 786 394 666 1961-2003 Davidson, Maryland, James Madison, Georgia State 6. Lou Henson 779 413 654 1963-2005 Hardin-Simmons, New Mexico State, Illinois 7. Eddie Sutton 769 294 723 1970- Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State 8. Henry Iba 764 339 693 1930-70 Northwest Missouri State, Colorado, Oklahoma State 9. Ed Diddle 759 302 715 1923-64 Western Kentucky 10. Phog Allen 746 264 739 1906-56 Baker, Haskell, Central Missouri State, Kansas
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