Bill Henry coached Union’s men’s basketball programs at one of their most success times in program history from 1964-70. He was also the athletic director at Union for a short time and coached the baseball team for one season. He coached Union during their previous membership in the NCAA. During that time, he coached the Bulldogs to three Western Division Conference Titles, a Volunteer State Athletic Conference (VSAC) Title, and an NCAA DII region tournament runner-up finish.
Henry led the Bulldogs to the NCAA Division II Region Tournament championship game in 1968 with a 22-3 record. His team lost narrowly to the eventual NCAA DII National Champion. The team’s 22-3 record was the best record of any team in the state of Tennessee and was ranked in the top-20 small college rankings seven different times that season. Henry’s 1968 team won the Western Division Title of the Volunteer state Athletic Conference (VSAC) and was VSAC Tournament Champions, the first VSAC tournament title in school history.
In addition to his many victories and championships at Union, Henry was honored with the City of Jackson’s ‘Man of the Year’ Award in 1970. In 1968, he was awarded the City Maker Award for outstanding contributions to the community.
Henry worked in various roles at several different colleges including Florida (assistant basketball), Charleston Southern (basketball), Union (basketball, baseball, AD), Maryville (AD), North Georgia, Austin Peay (tennis), and Belmont (golf). He retired in 2005 after two decades as Senior Administrative Assistant to the Athletic Director at the University of Tennessee.
Henry is a member of the Lenoir City High School Hall of Fame, Carson Newman Hall of Fame, and now twice in the Union Sports Hall of Fame as a coach and with his 1968 basketball team. Several of his players including Ken Hane, David Marsh, Dan Rudesill, and Lonnie Searcy are in Union’s Sports Hall of Fame. Henry passed away in 2014.
