PU men turn basketball reins over to another alum
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Mitch Henderson’s wait is over.
After 11 years as an assistant, the 1998 Princeton University graduate was introduced as the new men’s basketball coach at his alma mater on Thursday, four years after he applied for the job when Joe Scott left. Henderson succeeds Sydney Johnson.
”I was very interested in the position when Sydney got the job,” Henderson said. “Often as an assistant, you think you’re ready. I’m thankful for the four years that I’ve had to develop as a coach. And I feel like I’m even more ready today than I’ve ever been.”
Henderson spent the last 11 years as an assistant to former PU head coach Bill Carmody at Northwestern. He helped to rebuild the Wildcats, who reached the postseason in two out of the last three years and have won a program-record 20 games in each of the past two seasons. Carmody also coached Henderson in his final two seasons at Princeton.
”He came along and just got better and better,” Carmody said. “He’s done the same thing as a coach.
”I think he was certainly ready four or five years ago. I think he’s going to a wonderful. There’s nothing that doesn’t do well. He does everything at a very high level. In the days of having a recruiting coach, and a big man coach, he can do it all. He’s a pretty talented guy. The players are going to love him.”
At Princeton, Henderson will be taking over a team that also started at the bottom under Johnson, but grew into a 25-7 team that won the Ivy championship and the Ivy playoff over Harvard to reach the NCAA tournament.
”When you inherit a program that’s down, you fight the culture of losing,” Henderson said. “And that is just so difficult. We’re in a position at Northwestern, those guys are on firm ground and they’re just ready to push off to a level that they have never seen before. I’m excited to watch those guys play.
”With inheriting a group that really knows what they’re doing, you must highlight the strengths of that team. And that’ll be done. We’re going to play the way that gives us the best chance to be successful.”
Henderson envisions playing some uptempo basketball — Northwestern was third in the Big Ten in scoring offense last year, but he will have to focus on the defensive end, where Northwestern struggled, but the Tigers have been traditionally solid.
”I think he’s definitely ready,” said Northwestern graduate Craig Moore. “I think he’s been itching for this sort of opportunity. He may have had other opportunities, but don’t think there’s any better opportunity for him and the university. I think this is a match made in heaven.”
Moore, who played at nearby Lawrenceville School, played with the Wildcats from 2005-2009. The guard’s scoring increased every year, from 6.8 points per game as a freshman to 14.3 points per game as a senior.
”I worked with Coach Henderson on almost a daily basis,” said Moore, who played professionally in Holland this year. “He got me to become the player I was. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have made half the shots I made. He kept my head on straight. He worked on my defense and helped me understand the floor. He’s a really hard worker. He’s going to be great for that university.”
Princeton players were introduced to Henderson on Wednesday night, then went through a workout with their new coach Thursday morning.
”He was talking more about wanting to form a relationship with us,” said Patrick Saunders, the junior captain. “He wants to get to know us more than just talking X’s and O’s. That’s important to the team.
”Guys are really excited,” he added. “Coach Henderson is a great guy. With any new coach, you’re a little nervous. It’s a strange period.”
Assistant coach Brian Earl had run workouts when no head coach was in place. The hiring of Henderson takes the uncertainty away that had been left by Johnson’s departure.
”That was really tough,” Saunders said. “All I can describe it as is weird. Coach Earl was running our workouts. He was like our head coach. But especially after coming off a high of the season, it was like, where do we go from here now? Guys were a little down.”
Said Henderson: “I want to build up some trust with these guys. They need to know that I’m here to help them continue doing what they’ve been doing.”
Henderson is working to assemble his support staff, though he did not give a timeline for having it in place.
Said Henderson: “We’re going to make sure that we’ve got a staff that the guys feel comfortable with, that understands recruiting as it is today and certainly with respects to the kind of person we want at Princeton. I have no doubt we’ll put together a great staff.
”A great staff is a staff that trusts each other, but there’s value added on the court. So I want some guys that are going to bring some fresh ideas to what we do offensively and defensively.”
In Henderson, Princeton has another former Tiger player at the helm, and, like Johnson, another former point guard. Henderson was a part of some of the most storied teams in program history. He helped the Tigers win three straight Ivy crowns, including two perfect runs. In his senior year, Princeton went 27-2 and was ranked in the Top 10. They lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
”I don’t know if it’s a dream job, but this is special place,” Henderson said. “I know the message here. I know what the university means. To get a commitment from the university to the athletic program and the basketball program in the way that Princeton does, I know how rare that is. So this is a special opportunity.”
It’s a chance that he’s been wanting for a while. He was hired after a 16-day national coaching search that brought talented applicants from varied coaching backgrounds for the chance to coach the Ivy champions.
”The preparation that goes in to being a head coach takes time,” Henderson said. “I think on the court, you’re ready. But it’s the stuff off the court is most important, particularly with recruiting. Once you get your way off the court, I think that’s when you’re ready to be a head coach. I feel that way for sure.”
Henderson applied and was interviewed for the job five years ago, but it went to Johnson, who turned around the Tigers. Henderson was quick to apply again and received another interview, and ultimately the job that had always wanted.
”I did a little better this time,” Henderson quipped.