Bill Henderson (coach)

R. E. "Bill" Henderson (1901 – July 5, 1979) was an American basketball coach. He was the head basketball coach at Baylor University from 1941 to 1943, and from 1945 to 1961. In his 18 seasons at Baylor, Henderson had a win–loss record of 201–233, and his teams made three NCAA tournament appearances.[1]

Bill Henderson
Henderson from the 1950 Round-Up
Biographical details
Born1901
DiedJuly 5, 1979 (aged 78)
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
1941–1943Baylor
1945–1961Baylor
Administrative career (AD unless noted)
1968–1971Baylor
Head coaching record
Overall201–233
Tournaments3–5 (NCAA)
Accomplishments and honors
Championships
4 SWC regular season (1946, 1948–1950)

Prior to becoming a college head coach, Henderson coached the Temple High School boys' basketball team, which reached the 1928 state championship game. Although Henderson's Temple team lost to Austin High School in the title game, it was eventually awarded the championship because an ineligible player had been on Austin's roster.[2] In Henderson's first two seasons in charge of Baylor, the team finished with records of 11–9 and 6–14. After his two-season break, he guided the team to a 25–5 record, Southwest Conference championship, and NCAA tournament berth in 1945–46.[1] In the 1948 NCAA tournament, the Bears reached the title game, rallying from sizable deficits against Washington and Kansas State along the way. Baylor faced Kentucky for the national championship, losing 58–42.[3] It was the first time a Southwest Conference team had advanced to the championship game in an NCAA Tournament.[4]

Henderson's team reached the Final Four of the 1950 NCAA tournament, losing to Bradley 68–66.[5] The Bears did not return to the NCAA Tournament during Henderson's coaching tenure. The 1950 Final Four team only finished one game above .500 overall, and after that season he only notched two more winning records overall. The Bears declined to 4–20 in his final season, 1960–61.[1] After the season, he announced his resignation.[6] Henderson's total of 201 wins was a Baylor men's basketball record until current coach Scott Drew passed him in 2014. His 233 losses remains a school record.[7][8]

Henderson has been noted for barring his players from smoking, drinking, and swearing,[5] and for what author Allan Zullo called his "nervous habit of tying and untying his shoes at critical points in a game so he wouldn't have to watch a play unfold."[9] From 1968 to 1971, Henderson served as Baylor's athletic director.[10] The Texas Sports Hall of Fame inducted him in 1976.[4] On July 5, 1979, Henderson died at the age of 78.[11]

Head coaching record
Statistics overview
Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Baylor Bears (Southwest Conference) (1941–1943)
1941–42 Baylor 11–96–6T–3rd
1942–43 Baylor 6–143–97th
Baylor Bears (Southwest Conference) (1945–1961)
1945–46 Baylor 25–511–11stNCAA Regional Fourth Place
1946–47 Baylor 11–116–64th
1947–48 Baylor 24–811–11stNCAA Runner-up
1948–49 Baylor 14–109–3T–1st
1949–50 Baylor 14–138–4T–1stNCAA Fourth Place
1950–51 Baylor 8–163–96th
1951–52 Baylor 6–185–7T–3rd
1952–53 Baylor 10–116–74th
1953–54 Baylor 12–116–6T–3rd
1954–55 Baylor 13–117–54th
1955–56 Baylor 6–173–9T–5th
1956–57 Baylor 9–156–6T–3rd
1957–58 Baylor 5–193–118th
1958–59 Baylor 11–137–74th
1959–60 Baylor 12–126–86th
1960–61 Baylor 4–202–128th
Baylor: 201–233 (.463)108–117 (.480)
Total:201–233 (.463)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

See also

References
  1. "Bill Henderson". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved June 3, 2013.
  2. Hendry, Ron (2006). Athens' Day in the Sun: The Story of an Early High School Dynasty. Hendry Publishing. pp. 205–207. ISBN 9780977435005.
  3. Zullo, Allan (2007). March to Madness: The Ultimate Fan's Trivia Book. Running Press. pp. 104–105. ISBN 9780786750412.
  4. "Inductees: Henderson, R.E." Texas Sports Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on December 2, 2013. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  5. ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. Random House. 2009. p. 88. ISBN 9780345513922.
  6. "Bill Henderson Quits Baylor Basket Job". Chicago Tribune. United Press International. March 9, 1961. p. D3.
  7. "Baylor Bears Coaches". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  8. Carlton, Chuck (March 15, 2014). "Baylor rounding into nightmare matchup, one win away from making school, conference history". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved February 3, 2020.
  9. Zullo, pp. 103–104.
  10. 2017–18 Baylor Women's Basketball Media Almanac (PDF). Baylor University. 2017. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 20, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2023.
  11. "Ex-Baylor coach dies". The Arizona Republic. July 6, 1979. p. 5. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
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