Bill Henderson
American college basketball coach, college athletics administrator
About Bill Henderson
Lived 1901 – 1979 (aged 77–78). Bill Henderson was an American basketball coach.
R. E. "Bill" Henderson (1901 – July 5, 1979) was an American basketball coach. He was the head basketball coach at Baylor University from 1941 to 1943, and from 1945 to 1961. In his 18 seasons at Baylor, Henderson had a win–loss record of 201–233, and his teams made three NCAA tournament appearances.
Prior to becoming a college head coach, Henderson coached the Temple High School boys' basketball team, which reached the 1928 state championship game. Although Henderson's Temple team lost to Austin High School in the title game, it was eventually awarded the championship because an ineligible player had been on Austin's roster. In Henderson's first two seasons in charge of Baylor, the team finished with records of 11–9 and 6–14. After his two-season break, he guided the team to a 25–5 record, Southwest Conference championship, and NCAA tournament berth in 1945–46. It was the first time a Southwest Conference team had advanced to the championship game in an NCAA Tournament.
Henderson's team reached the Final Four of the 1950 NCAA tournament, losing to Bradley 68–66. The Bears did not return to the NCAA Tournament during Henderson's coaching tenure. The 1950 Final Four team only finished one game above .500 overall, and after that season he only notched two more winning records overall. The Bears declined to 4–20 in his final season, 1960–61. Henderson's total of 201 wins was a Baylor men's basketball record until current coach Scott Drew passed him in 2014. His 233 losses remains a school record.
Henderson has been noted for barring his players from smoking, drinking, and swearing, From 1968 to 1971, Henderson served as Baylor's athletic director. The Texas Sports Hall of Fame inducted him in 1976.
Head coaching record
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Important facts
People in Bill Henderson's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Bill Henderson's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Bill Henderson?
American college basketball coach, college athletics administrator
When was Bill Henderson born?
Bill Henderson was born in 1901.
When did Bill Henderson die?
Bill Henderson died on 5 July 1979.
What was Bill Henderson's occupation?
Bill Henderson was a basketball coach.
What nationality was Bill Henderson?
Bill Henderson was American.
Sources & further reading
· DBpedia: Bill Henderson (coach)
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Bill Henderson. https://biography.guide/bill-henderson-basketball-coach/
MLA: "Bill Henderson." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/bill-henderson-basketball-coach/.
Chicago: "Bill Henderson." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/bill-henderson-basketball-coach/.
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