Sammie Henson named Oklahoma wrestling assistant
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by University of
NORMAN, Okla. - Sammie Henson joins the Oklahoma Sooner staff with impeccable credentials both as a coach and a wrestler. The St. Charles, Mo., product was crowned world champion in 1998 wrestling for team USA in Tehran, Iran, earned an Olympic silver medal at the Sydney games in 2000 and was a world bronze medalist in 2006 at the age of 36. The accomplishments make him one of just a handful of wrestlers in USA History to have garnered three world medals.
"The Sooner wrestling program is thrilled to announce Sam Henson as our newest assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma," Spates said. "Anybody familiar with wrestling knows Sammie Henson. A two-time NCAA champion, world champion, world bronze and Olympic silver medalist, Sammie has scaled the heights of success in both collegiate and International wrestling."
Henson returns to the Oklahoma program after serving as a club coach for the Sooners from 1997-2000.
"The opportunity to work with Coach Spates in leading this distinguished program back to national prominence and to the top of the team podium is a dream come true," Henson said. "There is a great foundation here and with proper planning, belief in the system set forth by all involved and a continued vision of greatness for the program, we can accomplish amazing things on and off the mat at the University of Oklahoma."
Henson most recently served as head assistant the past two years at Cal Poly. Last season he assisted in leading Chad Mendes to the NCAA finals, Cal Poly's first finalist in more than 20 years.
Henson's resume also includes coaching stints as an assistant at Penn State, West Point and the University of Nebraska. In his two years at Penn State, the program went from 35th in the country to sixth at the NCAAs with two, top-five recruiting classes. He is also one of only four Sunkist Kids Olympic freestyle coaches in the country. Overall, Henson has mentored and coached 15 All-Americans and four NCAA champions.
"He is renowned for his work ethic, intensity and technical skills," Spates said. "Some of the top USA Olympic hopefuls come to Sammie to train. In addition to our collegiate program, we are confident Sammie will have a great impact on our International efforts."
Henson is a champion of more than 15 International titles in freestyle and in 2006 won a bronze medal at the World Championships.
Wrestling collegiately for Clemson, Henson went 71-0 in his junior and season campaigns, claiming two national championships and earning the title of ACC Wrestler of the Year in 1994.
He transferred to Clemson from Missouri, where he was a 1991 Big Eight champion and All-American as a freshman. He returned to Missouri in 1995 to earn a degree in Park Recreation and Tourism Management.
Henson is a member of the Missouri Wrestling Hall of fame and was inducted into the Clemson Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.
He returns to Norman with his wife, Stephanie, and four children Jackson (10), Wyatt (7), Ruby Jo (5) and Georgia-Kate (2).
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to come back to Norman and I couldn't be more excited to get started," Henson said. "I am encouraged by the recruiting class that Coach Spates has brought in, and with such outstanding potential we will begin immediately focusing on hard work and technique with the goal of competing for championships. We'll build a wrestling culture that Oklahoma fans will respond to while assisting our student-athletes in reaching the highest level on the mat while developing skills that will lead them into the future off the mat.
"The Sooner wrestling program is thrilled to announce Sam Henson as our newest assistant coach at the University of Oklahoma," Spates said. "Anybody familiar with wrestling knows Sammie Henson. A two-time NCAA champion, world champion, world bronze and Olympic silver medalist, Sammie has scaled the heights of success in both collegiate and International wrestling."
Henson returns to the Oklahoma program after serving as a club coach for the Sooners from 1997-2000.
"The opportunity to work with Coach Spates in leading this distinguished program back to national prominence and to the top of the team podium is a dream come true," Henson said. "There is a great foundation here and with proper planning, belief in the system set forth by all involved and a continued vision of greatness for the program, we can accomplish amazing things on and off the mat at the University of Oklahoma."
Henson most recently served as head assistant the past two years at Cal Poly. Last season he assisted in leading Chad Mendes to the NCAA finals, Cal Poly's first finalist in more than 20 years.
Henson's resume also includes coaching stints as an assistant at Penn State, West Point and the University of Nebraska. In his two years at Penn State, the program went from 35th in the country to sixth at the NCAAs with two, top-five recruiting classes. He is also one of only four Sunkist Kids Olympic freestyle coaches in the country. Overall, Henson has mentored and coached 15 All-Americans and four NCAA champions.
"He is renowned for his work ethic, intensity and technical skills," Spates said. "Some of the top USA Olympic hopefuls come to Sammie to train. In addition to our collegiate program, we are confident Sammie will have a great impact on our International efforts."
Henson is a champion of more than 15 International titles in freestyle and in 2006 won a bronze medal at the World Championships.
Wrestling collegiately for Clemson, Henson went 71-0 in his junior and season campaigns, claiming two national championships and earning the title of ACC Wrestler of the Year in 1994.
He transferred to Clemson from Missouri, where he was a 1991 Big Eight champion and All-American as a freshman. He returned to Missouri in 1995 to earn a degree in Park Recreation and Tourism Management.
Henson is a member of the Missouri Wrestling Hall of fame and was inducted into the Clemson Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.
He returns to Norman with his wife, Stephanie, and four children Jackson (10), Wyatt (7), Ruby Jo (5) and Georgia-Kate (2).
"I'm grateful for the opportunity to come back to Norman and I couldn't be more excited to get started," Henson said. "I am encouraged by the recruiting class that Coach Spates has brought in, and with such outstanding potential we will begin immediately focusing on hard work and technique with the goal of competing for championships. We'll build a wrestling culture that Oklahoma fans will respond to while assisting our student-athletes in reaching the highest level on the mat while developing skills that will lead them into the future off the mat.
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