Basketball Assistant Henson leaves for UNLV

[Papa_Bull]

Bulls Assistant Henson To Join UNLV Staff

BRETT McMURPHY bmcmurphy@tampatrib.com

Published: May 4, 2004

TAMPA - South Florida men's basketball assistant Steve Henson is leaving to become an assistant at UNLV.

Henson, 36, will be reunited with Runnin' Rebels coach Lon Kruger. Henson was an assistant under Kruger at Illinois (1999-2000) and with the Atlanta Hawks (2001-03).

``I have not interviewed with Coach Kruger,'' Henson said. ``I know the situation on his end has changed recently.''

Henson would not comment further.

Kruger is seeking an assistant after former Bradley coach Jim Molinari recently decided not to join Kruger's staff.

Henson will be the 10th player or coach who has quit or been dismissed from USF's program since Coach Robert McCullum was hired in April 2003.

Henson and McCullum were assistants together under Kruger at Illinois (1999-2000).

McCullum also was an assistant in Henson's senior year at Kansas State (1989-1990). With the Wildcats, Henson was a four-year starter and two-time honorable mention All- American.

Henson set several career records and last year was named to the school's All-Century team.

Henson, also a star decathlete at KSU, was a second- round draft pick of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1990. He played six seasons in the NBA and three seasons overseas.

[Velcro]

Good luck to Henson...

time for Mac to pull some strings... now 2 coaches down.  I'm not worried, plenty of time.

[BullDoug]

Hire Cedric Smith now and Reggie Kohn if he's willing to be an assistant.  Thank you very much.

[Jewbull]

I am not questioning anyone or any moves being made. But something seems a little fishy with Deffenbaugh being fired and Hensen Leaving. What do you think is going on??

[Velcro]

How about maybe deffenbaugh wasn't working out for Mac, so he wants to find someone better, and Henson found a job that he wanted more.  I doubt there is any more to it than that.  He's working for his old mentor.. the same mentor that Mac had, Lon Kruger... I think that would be ideal.  He can learn alot more from Kruger than Mac.

[USFPhil]

I agree I dont think there is anything to worry about.

[Guest S.  Bien]

Come on guys.  It definitely isn't time to panic, but some concern is definitely warranted.  Henson left USF for an inferior conference, and a program that is still struggling to recover from a near death penalty from the NCAA.  What, to go work for Kruger either grow-up or Coach Mac needs to sit him down and explain the obvious advantages?  

We are two assistants short, with no replacements in sight, and we could be recruiting another player, or at least planting seeds in future recruits.  Instead we are trying to fill a staff up, that all left under less than amiable circumstances.

If your not concerned then we need to fire-up the Seth Bus we all rode for seven years.  I rode that bus for six before I finally jumped off realizing that bus had a one-way ticket to nowhere.

Again, I am not panicking, and this in and of itself isn't a huge deal, but things are compounding.  This program needs stability, and we landed a recruiting class that wasn't going to make anyone's eyes bulge out.  

Coach Mac needs time, but he isn't helping matters, and 14 months into this experiment, and I still feel just as unsure as the day we hired the man.

[BullDoug]

Questions swimming in the brain fluids of my mind:

Could this defection be related to any of the potential ADs or the unstability of a new AD wanting to bring in his own basketball HC if CRM cant get the ship steadied after 2005?  Is there any history with the (4) candidates being considered?  BTW, will USF be able to pay for a bigger basketball named HC after yr one in the BE?

[Guest Hoops McKnight]

Department of Education stats, year ending 30 June 2002 (I can't find later ones):

Men's basketball expenses:

UNLV - $1.911M

USF   - $1.279M

and in the interest of full disclosure:

UCF   - $  .618M

[Guest S.  Bien]

Department of Education stats, year ending 30 June 2002 (I can't find later ones):

Men's basketball expenses:

UNLV - $1.911M

USF   - $1.279M

and in the interest of full disclosure:

UCF   - $  .618M

Hoops, the administration has vowed to increase that budget by 25% over the next 12 months, and we expect to be spending $2mm by the time we enter the Big East.  

I can't reinterate enough, the Big East, it's the Big East....the Mountain West- utah, CSU, BYU, UNLV....come one there's no comparison we've won two NC the past two years.  UNLV is a fallin star, its ate up 4 coaches, actually four and a half, since the Tark has departed, and we will see if this will be a fifth.

Put team, and comparisons aside, I am genuinely concerned that we are losing coaches so readily.  I have a hard time believing that Coach Kruger ACTIVELY recruited Henson away from McCollum- they're friends for goodness sakes.  SO, my guess is Henson called him and said, "Get me the hell out of here."

USF will have a solid budget, and we will get to where we need to be, but I am starting to get increasingly concerned, and question if Mac is the man for the job.  

I certainly hope so.