THENEWS-GAZETTEThursday, August 6, 2020 C-3 THANKYOU,LOU oach Henson is agenuine Illinois legend. Theway he built the pro- C gram from alow point when he arrived in Champaign to anationally recognized basketball power was amazing. Iamtruly grateful for all the things that he did for me. Coach Henson instilled awork ethic in his play- ers and developed atoughness in us to overcome the obstacles that we would face in our professional lives and occupations. — Rob Judson, former Illini Remembering Coach Lou Henson Our deepest sympathy goes out to Mary Henson and the entire family as we learned the sad news of Coach Lou Henson's passing. Coach will be sorely missed by everyone in the Illinois basketball family and especially those of us with Illini Rebounders. John Dixon/The News-Gazette What can you possibly say about a man that meant Rod Cardinal and Lou Henson share amoment during the 100th year of Illinois everything to Illinois basketball and the Champaign- Urbana basketball celebration on Jan. 29, 2005, in Champaign. community? Like everyone else, the Illini Rebounders are deeply saddened by this news. We all have known for a while BEHIND THESCENES that Coach Henson had been in failing health, but that does not lessen the blow for any of us. When Lou entered a room, all eyes immediately turned in his direction, another indicator COACH of the reverance Illini fans had for him. How many people can lay claim to being the all-time winningest coach at two different schools? How many coaches have had the court named after them at two different WASAN schools? This is the kind of respect he earned from others. Not only was he the all-time winningest coach in Illinois basketball history, but he established a very high standard for others to live up to, both on and off the court. Lou and Mary OPEN BOOK were pillarlarss ofo the community and whenever they went somewhere it would take a long while to get through a room because they were gracious enough to make time for Novel idea during Illini’soverseas trip just one of the everyone. many memories for Rod Cardinal,who spent more All the accolades are too many to mention, but here are a than two decades working alongside Lou Henson few: • 779 wins to rank 23rd on all time wins list By SCOTT RICHEY was expecting us to bring back [email protected] whatever was left over,” Cardi- • Inducted into Illini Hall of Fame 2018 CHAMPAIGN —You can nal said. “But the managers and • Inducted into National Collegiate Basketball probably find copies of Lou Hen- Iwere darned if that was going son’sbook “Winning at Illinois” to happen. We started to leave Hall of Fame 2015 scattered across eastern Eu- copies of the book at the hotel rope. How they got there is quite front desk, the concierge desk, • Led the Illini to the NCAA tournament 12 times the story. with the housekeepers, custodi- • 779 wins to rank 23rd on all time wins list Inducted Henson took the Illinois men’s ans, locker room attendants and basketball team on aforeign Iamsure afew other places. into Illini Hall of Fame 2018 tour in 1992 to Russia, Lithua- “There still may be some • One of only 14 coaches to lead two teams to the nia and Latvia. The tradition for books lying around some ho- international games like that at tel storage space in Lithuania. Final Four the time was for the teams to And when we got back, Itold • Illini Rebounders and the Orange Krush, both formed swap small mementos or gifts. Coach how much everyone en- Usually apin, asmall flag or a joyed getting acopy of his book as result of meetings held in the living room of T-shirt. and that we had packed just the his home. This trip? The Illini’soppo- right number and had used them nents were getting acopy of all up. He just smiled and said, • Inducted into National Collegiate Basketball Hall of “Winning at Illinois.” ‘Yeah, Iknow.’” “Coach must have ordered a Cardinal spent 21 years work- Fame 2015 Led the Illini to the NCAA tournament lot of books, because forthis ing with Henson at Illinois. That 12 times trip he decided that for partof accounted for nearly half of the our gift exchange, he was going athletic trainer-turned-coordina- • OneOne ofo only 14 coaches to lead two teams to the to give out books instead of a tor of special projects’ 46-year Final Four T-shirt,”formerIllinois athletic career with the Illini before his trainer Rod Cardinal said. “So we retirementinMay 2019. Those • Illini Rebounders and the Orange Krush, both formed loadedup10to12cases of books, 21 years left Cardinal with plen- as result of meetings held in the living room of and theyflew withusonthistrip. ty of stories to tell. We traveled by airplane, bus and One common theme Cardinal his home. train, and thesebooks traveled witnessed was Henson’susage right alongwith us. At every of parables to make abasketball stop, the managers andIunload- point. Cardinal clearly remem- ed and reloaded thesebooks.” bers Henson stopping apractice Lou Henson was a great man, a great coach, The reaction to the book ex- with the team struggling to run change was certainly interest- its plays. and a great ambassador for ing. Cardinal handed out the “Timing is so important in this books to the Illinois players and game,” Cardinal recalls Henson IllinoisIllinois babassketball. We miss you Coach! coaches, who swapped them saying. “If you were afarmer with their opponents. and had aproduct to sell and “As the other team players you had to be in Chicago by a received their book, they would certain time to sell your product look at each other and mum- or it would spoil and you would ble something,” Cardinal said. not make any money,you would “Their expressions were price- have to anticipate your timing to less. Ithink they really wanted get there just at the right time. aT-shirt. We did not think about Basketball is the same thing. this until later,but we didn’t Youhave to anticipate your tim- know if they could even read En- ing or you make amess of every- glish.” thing. Now run the play again No leftover books from the 10- and do it right.” 12 cases Cardinal and the Illinois managers schlepped across Eu- ScottRichey is areportercovering rope made it back to Champaign. college basketball at TheNews- By design. Gazette. His email is srichey@ “Weundoubtedly overpacked news-gazette.com, and you can on the books, and Ithink coach follow him on Twitter (@srrichey). Illinois Athletics rsity of ve Uni LOU HENSON |1932-2020 NBAdraft picks Henson coached, including five first-round picks in Der- ek Harper (No. 11, Mavericks, 1983), KenNorman (No. 19, Clippers, 1987), 27 Nick Anderson (No. 11, Magic, 1989), Kenny Battle (No. 27, Pistons, 1989) and Kendall Gill (No. 5, Hornets, 1990)..