Eric Henderson is in his second year as an assistant coach on the Bison staff after joining NDSU in April 2014. Henderson gained several years of coaching experience at Wayne State (Neb.) and Iowa State University before taking over boys’ basketball head coaching duties at Burlington Catholic Central HS in Wisconsin.
In the 2014-15 season, Henderson helped guide the Bison to the Summit League regular season and tournament championships and their third NCAA Tournament bid in seven years. NDSU racked up 23 victories in his first season on the bench – the most by any Division I team under a first-year head coach last season.
“My family and I are extremely excited to join the North Dakota State men’s basketball program and the entire Bison family,” Henderson said in 2014. “I look forward to working with Coach Richman and the rest of the staff to build on the strong tradition and relationships that are already established within the basketball program, athletic department, and community.”
Henderson most recently served five seasons as the head boys’ basketball coach at Burlington Catholic Central in Burlington, Wis., leading the school to a 21-5 record for the 2013-14 season. He also handled school principal and athletic director duties during his stay in Burlington.
Henderson spent three seasons on Greg McDermott’s staff at Iowa State from 2006-09 – one year as a graduate manager and two years as ISU’s academic learning specialist, assisting in monitoring the academic progress of Iowa State basketball student-athletes.
“Eric’s passion for the game and enthusiasm for life are infectious and will translate extremely well into our Bison basketball program,” said NDSU head coach David Richman upon Henderson’s hire.
Henderson played four seasons for McDermott at Wayne State, helping the Wildcats to back-to-back NCAA Division II tournament appearances. As a senior in 1999-00, Henderson averaged 11.3 points and 11.1 rebounds as WSU tied for the regular season conference championship, won the league tournament and advanced to the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen.
After graduating from Wayne State in 2000 with a degree in elementary education, Henderson coached at WSU until 2004.
Eric and his wife, Alicia, have two sons, Kooper and Kort.
