Henderson Resigns As Kentucky Coach
| 2016 COACHING CHANGES | ||
| School | Departures | Arrivals |
| Alabama | Mitch Gaspard | |
| Appalachian State | Billy Jones | |
| Army | Matt Reid | |
| Butler | Steve Farley | |
| Kentucky | Gary Henderson | |
| Lamar | Jim Gilligan (ret.) | Will Davis |
| Purdue | Doug Schreiber | |
| SIU-Edwardsville | Tony Stoecklin | |
| Texas | Augie Garrido | |
| Villanova | Joe Godri | |
| Youngstown State | Steve Gillispie | |
Gary Henderson, who led Kentucky to regionals in 2012 and 2014 and won a school-record 45 games in 2012, has resigned after eight seasons.
In a letter posted on UK’s website, Henderson said the decision to resign was his.
“It has been an honor and a distinct privilege to represent the University of Kentucky as head baseball coach. It has been a source of pride to compete in the SEC for 17 years, including the last 13 at Kentucky, eight as head coach and five as an assistant coach. We’ve just completed five consecutive 30+ win seasons, for the first time in Kentucky Baseball history, and we’ve competed in two NCAA regionals. That said, it is 100 percent my decision to resign at this time, based in part because the results don’t meet my expectations.
“Coaching in the SEC is not a job, it’s a lifestyle. All aspects of the job, from recruiting to player development, are all-consuming and require a 24/7/365 commitment. After 30 years in coaching, I have decided it is time for me to step away for the time being.”
Henderson, an assistant and pitching coach under John Cohen from 2004-08, became head coach in 2009 when Cohen left to coach his alma mater, Mississippi State. As coach, Henderson was 258-199, reaching regionals twice. In 2012, Kentucky won 22 games in a row on its way to a 45-win season. The Wildcats got to the No. 2 ranking in the country that season, the highest spot they achieved in the BA Top 25.
Henderson compiled a 258-199 record over eight seasons as UK won at least 30 games in his each of his last five years.
“I am deeply appreciative of the contributions Gary Henderson made during his time here,” director of athletics Mitch Barnhart said in a statment. “He has poured his heart and soul into Kentucky baseball, giving us many of the best seasons and most thrilling moments in our history while competing in the most difficult league in America. He has conducted himself and the program with honor and integrity. Already solid in the classroom, he challenged the team to even greater success academically and the players responded with several consecutive semesters with a team grade-point average over 3.0. Again, I am thankful for everything he has done at UK and wish the best for Gary and his family.”
Fifty-nine players have been drafted out of UK during Henderson’s coaching stints, including A.J. Reed, the No. 42 overall pick in 2014 by the Astros and BA’s College Player of the Year that year.
Comments are closed.