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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Gutierrez

DATE TYPED 03-10-05 HB HJM30

SHORT TITLE

Coach Lou Henson, In Recognition

SB

ANALYST Woods

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

Duplicates SJM32

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Joint Memorial 30 – Recognizing the Accomplishments of New Mexico State University

Basketball Coach Lou Henson – notes that:

•

Lou Henson began his coaching career as the head basketball coach at Las Cruces

high school in 1958, amassing a record of one hundred forty-five wins and

twenty-three losses and leading his teams to the state championship in 1959, 1960

and 1961;

•

Coach Henson entered the collegiate coaching ranks in 1962 at Hardin-Simmons,

where he began a forty-one year career that would take him to the University of

Illinois and to New Mexico State University for two tours and would eventually

make him the all-time sixth-winningest coach among National Collegiate Athletic

Association Division I coaches;

House Joint Memorial 30 -- Page 2

•

Coach Henson, whose approachable, gentlemanly style stood in marked contrast

to many of his coaching colleagues, became affectionately and simply known as

“Lou” to legions of fans at Illinois, where he coached for twenty-one seasons, and

New Mexico State University, his alma mater;

•

Lou’s career was punctuated by many highlights, including becoming only one of

ten division I coaches to lead two schools to the national collegiate athletic asso-

ciation final four; becoming the all-time winningest coach at both Illinois and

New Mexico State University; coaching his first Aggie team, known as the

“Miracle Midgets” because no player stood taller than six feet, five inches, to a

winning record a year after going just four wins and twenty-two losses; guiding

the 1988-89 Illinois team to a number one national ranking, the last Illinois team

to reach that mark until this year’s team; and coaching what is considered to be

the best Aggie team ever, the 1969-70 team led by Sam Lacey and Jimmy Collins,

to a season record of twenty-seven wins and three losses;

•

his remarkable coaching talent and ability to inspire others to achieve beyond

their dreams was never tested as much as it was in 2001, when he coached an

overrated New Mexico house of representatives team to a narrow, overtime vic-

tory over an aging senate team;

•

Lou “retired” from coaching in 1996 and returned to Las Cruces with his wife,

Mary, but quickly demonstrated his class, love for the game and loyalty to the

fans and his alma mater by accepting for a second time the head coaching job at

New Mexico State University for the salary of one dollar ($1.00) a month;

•

Lou continued to coach the Aggies until persistent health problems prompted him

to take himself out of the game, just a season or so away from becoming only the

fifth coach in division I history to top eight hundred victories; and

•

it is the sincere hope of the men and women of the New Mexico legislature that

Coach Henson fully enjoy many hours each day with his loving wife, Mary; his

daughters, Lori, Lisa and Leigh Anne; and his twelve grandchildren;

The memorial resolves that that hearty congratulations and sincere thanks be extended to Lou

Henson for his career achievements and for his contributions to the game of basketball, the lives

of thousands of young men, sports fans everywhere and the residents of the state of New Mexico

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

The memorial further resolves that a copy of this memorial be transmitted to Lou Henson.

BFW/lg