University of Illinois Athletics

BASKETBALL • 1975-96

Lou Henson's legendary career spanned 41 years at three programs and he stands as the winningest coach at both New Mexico State and Illinois. During his legendary 21-year career in charge of the Orange and Blue, Henson amassed a 423-224 record, highlighted by 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, a total of 15 postseason bids, and eleven 20-win seasons. Illinois basketball was one of the nation's most dominant programs during Henson's tenure, earning a top-5 seed in the NCAA Tournament seven straight years from 1984 through 1990. Henson's Illini won the 1984 Big Ten Championship and advanced to the Elite Eight. His most successful season came with the Flyin' Illini, who won a then-school record 31 games and advanced to the 1989 NCAA Final Four. Henson ranks fifth all-time among Big Ten coaches in both total wins (423) and conference wins (214). In all, Henson won 779 games; ranking 16th on the all-time NCAA wins list, and 11th all-time among coaches with at least 10 years spent in Division I. He is one of only four coaches in NCAA history to record 200-plus wins at two DI schools, totaling 423 at Illinois and 289 at New Mexico State. He also stands as one of just 14 coaches to lead two different teams to the Final Four. Henson was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015 and the playing floor at State Farm Center was officially dedicated as Lou Henson Court on Dec. 2, 2015. Lou passed away in 2020 at his home in Champaign.