Oh Henry! An incomparable track & field coaching career is only part of former LSU coach’s legacy
Texas A&M announced the retirement of legendary track coach Pat Henry Wednesday.
I first met Coach Henry in the Provo, Utah airport. I think it was the summer of 1987. I was in Provo for the Junior Olympics. Henry, who had just been hired by LSU, was there recruiting for the Tigers. He would spend the next 17 years of his coaching career in Baton Rouge.
During that time, Henry-coached LSU teams won 27 NCAA championships and 16 SEC championships while producing dozens of Olympians. The peak Henry years at LSU were in 1989 and 1990 when Henry became the first coach in history to lead both men’s and women’s teams to NCAA championships in the same year — 1989. He did it again next season.
The dynasty he built in Baton Rouge earned him induction in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2021. As he ends a 54-year coaching career, Henry is on anybody’s Mount Rushmore of collegiate track coaches, having done great things at three programs – Blinn Community College, LSU and with the Aggies.
He left LSU for Texas A&M saying that he wanted a “new challenge.” While I don’t remember the details of the departure, I know that Henry wanted championship facilities and the leadership at LSU was not willing to give the program (or Henry) the resources or compensation he desired and deserved. So he left.
During his tenure at Texas A&M, Henry won 10 more NCAA championships. Six of those national championships came in 2009, 2010, and 2011 when–once again–Henry led his teams to both the girls and boys NCAA titles in the same year.
Most major college track and field teams concentrate on winning championships — as they should, but Henry also used his platform in College Station to grow the sport. One of the ways he did this is by hosting track and field camps at Texas A&M.
I took my daughter to these camps where she was coached by Texas A&M throws coaches like Juan De Le Garza and Texas A&M athletes. When we went to leave, I took Caitlin to meet him.
He told her how instrumental her grandfather was to the sport of track and field in Louisiana.
When longtime LSU Track & Field Officials Association member — and C.E. Byrd 1960s track star — Stewart Blue was dying of cancer a few years ago, Henry took the entire Texas &M track and field team on a bus to Blue’s house in Lafayette to pay him a visit. Special stuff.
My daughter’s senior year at Byrd, she qualified for the Texas Relays. We were sitting in the stands watching the meet and Henry just walked past us and down to the rail to coach one of his athletes from the stands at Memorial Stadium. I didn’t say anything to him while he was coaching, I just watched and listen. I knew that I was in the presence of greatness. When he was done, I went up and said hello.
When Henry talked to you, he had a way of making you feel like you were the most important person in the world. I know that was the case with every encounter I’ve had with him over the years — from that very first brief introduction in the Provo airport.
If you look up Class Act in the encyclopedia, I have no doubt you will find a picture of Pat Henry there.
Congratulations, coach! Nobody did it better.
Contact Jerry at jerry.byrd@bossierschools.org