Don Henderson '54 Honored By Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association

Springfield, Ohio – Don Henderson, Wittenberg class of 1954, may have hung up the whistle decades ago, but the awards and accolades saluting his coaching career continue to roll in.

Henderson was recently named a 2016 recipient of the Ohio High School Basketball Coaches Association’s (OHSBCA) Hall of Honor, an award given to individuals who provide exemplary service to high school basketball. Henderson was nominated for his work as director of the OHSBCA’s District 9 from 1976-87 and organizing the District 9 All-Star Game for nearly 30 years.

Henderson, who was elected to the OHSBCA Hall of Fame in 1991, will receive the award during the Boys’ North-South All-Star Game on Friday, April 22, at Otterbein University.

“Don has contributed to our sport in so many different ways,” said Joe Balogh, boys’ basketball head coach at Ontario High School and the awards director of the OHSBCA. “He is being recognized for tremendous contributions to the success of Ohio high school basketball. Don is very deserving.”

Henderson spent 36 years as a mathematics teacher and coach in the Springfield City School District. He coached Springfield North’s boys’ basketball team from 1960-1989, leading the Panthers to two undefeated regular seasons, six Western Ohio League championships and four district titles. Also North’s head baseball coach for 22 years, Henderson coached five all-state basketball players, including a pair of Ohio players of the year, and he led the Panthers to a 65-5 record in one phenomenal stretch.

Henderson was an all-state high school basketball player himself at Cadiz High School, before he spent four years in the Air Force and then enrolled at Wittenberg in 1950. He earned eight letters in baseball, basketball and football at Wittenberg, and he was later elected into the university’s Athletics Hall of Honor in 1996. Henderson has also served his alma mater for nearly 20 years as a member of the Athletics Hall of Honor Committee.

In addition, Henderson is a co-founder of the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame, which was created in 2005 to recognize the achievements of both male and female basketball players in high school, college and professional basketball, successful coaches on all levels, and those who have impacted the game. Henderson, who continues to serve as co-chairman of the board, was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010.

Written By: Ryan Maurer