Illinois basketball coach Lou Henson passed away this past weekend. I am honored to have been a very small part of his story. Our paths crossed many times over the years starting with my freshman year, his very first season as coach at the University of Illinois. Let me take a minute to share a few stories:
Orange Krush - I think I actually first met Lou during my sophomore year. As a freshman I had season tickets and watched nearly every home game. Audie Mathews played for the Illini back then and I had played against Audie in high school. I would catch the games, watch practice and say hello to Audie and Coach Les Wothke who I knew from my high school days. Les and my high school coach were friends and had coached together at Argo and Rich East. Les was one of Lou's assistants.
Sophomore year we invited Les and Lou to come by and talk at my fraternity. Lou was starting a student cheering section, similar to football's Block I and was enlisting members. I was certainly up for it as I loved to watch basketball and 5 or so members of the fraternity signed on to Orange Krush. By now I had started officiating and couldn't get enough. In Lou's first year there was no one on the floor except the team, the officials, and the scorekeepers. With the addition of Orange Krush things changed in year two. I think there were maybe 100 of us on the floor. Great seats, court side and encouraged to bring our best enthusiasm to each game.
The band soon joined us, I think year in 3. I was an active and hell raising member. I yelled at the teams, the officials and the fans who were sitting around not cheering. Orange Krush was to become one of the premier student sections in the country. Numbering over 2000 now, the group is truly a difference maker for the team and for the community as they fund raise for priority points in the club. The energy and enthusiasm at State Farm Center was Lou's vision.
Senior year Hawaii trip - Lou invited John Aymond, a friend from IFC and a member of ATO, and me
to join the team in Hawaii as our graduation trip. What a trip! Lou let us sit behind the bench and as we won the tourney, beating eventual National Champion Louisville while we were at it. I'll never forget the time spent traveling around the island, eating great food and getting to know Lou and especially Mary on this trip. I would write an article about Mary for the student newspaper later that year. I came to appreciate how Mary made sure Lou had everything he needed to be successful. She is a remarkable woman, perhaps the greatest "assistant coach" in NCAA history.
Detroit scouting - I had gotten to know Bob Hull well during the trip to Hawaii. Bob coordinated scouting for Lou and was an assistant coach. In the early 80's there was no ESPN and no Fed EX. Lou and Bobby built a network of scouts in the Big Ten cities. Lou had perhaps the most extensive catalog of college basketball tapes in America. I'm certain he had tapes of 1000's of games and would watch and make notes on all of them. I had moved to Detroit to start work for Proctor and Gamble. Bobby asked me to be the Michigan scout then sent me a huge beta max, lots of tapes and shipping boxes to send tapes. I would tape games from Detroit TV for Michigan, Michigan State and even Ohio State as their games were broadcast on Toledo TV and I could get that at my house. I easily sent over 30 tapes a season to Lou and Bobby.
I would tape a game, then drive to downtown Detroit the next day, put the tape on a bus to Chicago and then it would be transferred to a Champaign bus in Chicago. Same day service! In exchange Lou invited me to sit on the bench and stay with the Illini on the road for the teams I "scouted". I had four great years on the bench at Michigan State, Michigan and Ohio State.
And when I came to Champaign Lou would take care of me as well with tickets. One year, 1983, we were playing Kentucky on Dec. 23. Kentucky played Michigan State on Dec 21 and Lou wanted the tape as soon as possible. I taped it and started heading to Champaign right after the game, arriving at Lou's house at about 2 AM December 22. This was the only time I ever saw the Lou "do" not in perfect shape. The next day one of the worst storms ever hit Champaign. I was stuck there for Christmas, but did get to watch the Illinois Kentucky game from the first row.
Later that season Lou invited me to join the team in Bloomington for the Indiana game. Sitting on the bench there was one of my most memorable Illini moments. In those days Bobby Knight and Lou were still best of friends. They would arrive in town early and often the coaches and wives would head out for a meal. I will never forget seeing the two of them argue at the shoot around about "who the worst official in the Big 10 was." A few years later they would have some major issues and I don't believe they ever reunited.
Also later in the same season Lou invited me to Lexington for the NCAA regional final. I was witness to the famous game where the officials blew a call in the last minute, giving Kentucky the win and a trip to the NCAA Final Four. This would be the game that would change NCAA hosting forever as the home team never again would host at their own arena.
Illini moments - I would have the ultimate pleasure to work with Lou and the DIA during his final years at Illinois. I was working baseball primarily but also working with football and basketball marketing. Lou loved anyone who would be working to fill the stands and always said yes to all of our ideas. Some ideas we added back then, the County Market Grocery Delivery Game, t-shirt cannons, and spin on a bat and run to the baseline. The scoreboard in those days was very small so we always tried to find things that would involve "C" section.
One regret, for Midnight Madness in 1992, Halloween night, we asked Lou to get in a casket and be wheeled in. He was dressed like Dracula. Unfortunately a few days later his son Lou Jr was killed in an auto accident. Attending the funeral with Lou Jr in another casket was just too bizarre for me.
But everyone who knew Lou knew what a great coach and GREAT MAN he was. He always had a smile, always wanted to know how you were doing and always an encouraging word.
Inspiring fighter - During my cancer treatments I would run into Lou and Mary at the Carle Cancer Center. He was the consummate fighter of cancer. I had 45 rounds of chemo over two years. He had many more over 17 years. I would read and hear about his chemo treatments at the famous Anderson Cancer Center and be in awe of his courage and will to live. When it was my turn to fight this fight Lou graciously inspired me to live my life and keep fighting. Truly an hero to me.
So I hope everyone wears Orange for awhile in honor of Lou. Orange has come to mean Illinois Loyalty in Champaign, due almost entirely to Lou's wearing of the Orange jackets at games.
I'm thankful I had a chance to cross paths with this man as well as his lovely wife Mary. You left a legacy that truly will never be forgotten.
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