Complete Naismith Memorial Basketball HOF Release

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. - An NM State - and college basketball - legend is now eligible to enter the pantheon of greats associated with the sport.

In a release issued Tuesday afternoon the late Lou Henson - the legendary former Aggie head coach who passed away on July 25, 2020, at the age of 88 - is one of eight first-time nominees for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame's Class of 2021.

Henson joins Doug Collins, Michael Cooper, Howard Garfinkel, Paul Pierce, Val Ackerman, Yolanda Griffith and Lauren Jackson as first-time nominees to the Hall of Fame.A first look at the list of eligible nominees was provided by The Jump on ESPN, hosted by Rachel Nichols, and Class of 2021 nominee Paul Pierce.

Born in Okay, Oklahoma, on January 10, 1932, Henson lettered three times as a member of the NM State men's basketball team from 1953-55. That playing career was the beginning of one of history's finest college basketball legacies which spanned over a half-century. Following his playing days, Henson remained in Las Cruces to begin his coaching career at Las Cruces High School. As the head coach of the varsity team from 1958-62, Henson and his crew captured state championships in 1959, 1960 and 1961 before he joined the collegiate coaching ranks. After spending four seasons as the head coach at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene, Texas, Henson returned to Las Cruces and was named NM State's head men's basketball coach prior to the start of the 1966-67 season. 

Through his first tenure as the Aggies' bench boss which ran from 1966-75, Henson helped the Aggies advance to the NCAA Tournament on six occasions. It was Henson's 1969-70 squad, however, that set the standard for all Aggie squads before or since. Led by the likes of Jimmy Collins, Sam Lacey and Charlie Criss, NM State embarked on a magical run to the Final Four where they lost to eventual national champion UCLA. The Aggies concluded their season with a 27-3 record and made their presence known to basketball fans around the land. 

Following the 1974-75 season, Henson accepted the job as the head coach at the University of Illinois where he remained for the next 21 seasons. In the 1988-89 campaign, Henson returned to the Final Four with the Fighting Illini.

Just prior to the 1997-98 season, Henson returned to the city where his basketball coaching career started 40 years earlier to begin his second stint as the head coach of NM State. That second run as the Aggies' leader lasted seven-plus seasons and was highlighted by Big West regular season and conference titles in the 1998-99 campaign. The 1998-99 season marked Henson's final trip to the NCAA Tournament as a head coach, too. Midway through the 2004-05 season, Henson was forced to retire for good as a result of his battle with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. 

All told, Henson's career continues to stand as one of the best ever in the history of college basketball. Upon his retirement, his 289 wins at NM State and 423 at Illinois were the most by a head coach at both institutions and his 779 career victories rank 16th on the all-time coaching list. 

One of just 13 NCAA men's basketball coaches who have accumulated 200 or more victories at two different schools, Henson is also one of just 15 coaches who have guided two teams to the Final Four. Henson also holds spots in four different Halls of Fame including the US Bank/NM State Athletics Hall of Fame (1978), National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (2015), Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame (2018) and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame (2019). In 2002, the court inside the Aggies' home facility of the Pan American Center was renamed Lou Henson Court so his tremendous legacy would continue to live on. 

Following the Hall of Fame's traditional timeline, Finalists from the North American and Women's committee for the Class of 2021 will be announced in the timeframe of NBA All-Star Weekend, which is scheduled for early March. The entire Class of 2021, including those selected by the direct elect committees, will be unveiled in the timeframe of the NCAA Final Four scheduled for early April. Event details are forthcoming, and the announcement timeline is subject to change.

The Class of 2021 Enshrinement ceremony is scheduled to take place in Springfield, Mass., in September 2021. As previously announced, the Class of 2020 Enshrinement ceremony has been rescheduled and relocated due to COVID-19 and is scheduled for May 13-15, 2021 at Mohegan Sun.

Tickets for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2020 and 2021 Enshrinement ceremonies and various events surrounding the ceremonies will be on-sale at a later date. For the latest news and updates, follow @hoophall on Twitter and Instagram.

++NM State++