Drake turns to SDSU’s Henderson as next coach

Jeff BorzelloMar 28, 2025, 06:20 PM ET

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• Basketball recruiting expert.
• Joined ESPN in 2014.
• Graduate of University of Delaware.Drake has actually hired South Dakota

State’s Eric Henderson as its next coach, the school stated Friday.Henderson has directed the Jackrabbits to two NCAA tournaments in the past four seasons, while winning 4 Top League regular-season championships in 6 years as the program’s head coach.After costs three seasons as an assistant coach under

T.J. Otzelberger, Henderson was promoted to the leading area when Otzelberger left for UNLV in 2019. Editor’s Picks 2 Related “The enjoyment for Drake basketball is

at an all-time high, and I’m looking

forward to developing relationships and representing such a committed university and fan base,”Henderson said in a declaration released by the school.South Dakota State won the Top regular-season title in each of Henderson’s first three seasons

at the helm, highlighted by an 18-0 conference record in 2021-22. The Jackrabbits went 30-5 that season, losing in the NCAA competition to Providence. They went back to the competition last season, shaking off a rocky start that saw them lose their first 4 Department I games of the campaign.In 2024-25, the Jackrabbits won their very first game of the season over McNeese and took 10 of 12 to end the routine

season, but they were disturbed in their first game of the Top tournament by North Dakota.Overall, Henderson was 129-60, losing simply 20 league games over six seasons.Henderson changes Ben McCollum, who was worked with earlier today as the coach at Iowa.

Henderson will seek to continue the recent success of the Bulldogs, who have actually

gone to three consecutive NCAA tournaments and 4 of the past five. Drake’s past three head coaches– McCollum, Darian DeVries(Indiana )and Niko Medved (Minnesota)– were hired by Big 10 schools this month.