LEXINGTON, Ky. ? Kentucky pitching coach Gary Henderson has been named associate head coach of the UK baseball program, head coach John Cohen announced.
?Gary Henderson is a key element of the Kentucky baseball program,? Cohen said. ?Gary has been a vital part of every facet of UK baseball and his hard work and dedication were directly responsible for the SEC Championship season. He has brought in the kind of players we want to represent the University and he continues to be one of the best pitching coaches in college baseball.?
Henderson, entering his fourth year with the program, helped guide the Wildcats to the 2006 Southeastern Conference Championship. UK reeled off a school-record 44 wins en route to hosting the school?s first NCAA Lexington Regional.
The pitching staff improved drastically under Henderson?s tutelage, jumping from a 5.23 team ERA in 2005 to a 3.95 ERA during the historic 2006 season. The 3.95 mark is good for the second-best team ERA in school annals.
Another point of emphasis for Henderson on the field defensively is to limit opponent?s aggressiveness on the base paths. That was evident during the 2006 season, as Kentucky had the fewer stolen base attempts against them (ranked 12th with 18 attempts against) then any other team in the league (Georgia and Mississippi St. ranked first with 60).
Henderson?s coaching can be seen directly in the individual success of several pitchers on the staff including Greg Dombrowski and Andrew Albers. Dombrowski became the first Wildcat to win 10 games since 1987,accumulating a 10-2 record and notching a 2.83 ERA. Albers became an effective closer out of the bullpen late in the season, earning seven saves.
As the lead recruiter for the Wildcats, Henderson has brought in the talent necessary to compete in the best baseball conference in collegiate baseball. That success on the recruiting trail was never more evident as the Wildcats brought in several freshman and junior college players capable of contributing immediately to the UK lineup.
Most notable of the recruits Henderson has helped bring to UK is 2006 SEC Player of the Year Ryan Strieby, who was recruited by Henderson to fill a void at first base. Henderson, the 1996 National Assistant Coach of the Year, has helped bring a nationally-ranked class of newcomers to campus for the 2006-07 season.
Henderson functioned in a similar role as the pitching coach for Oregon State. The Beavers, who won OSU?s first College World Series Title in 2006, relied heavily on Henderson to recruit future stars such as Pac-10 Player of the Year Cole Gillespie and CWS MVP Kevin Gunderson.
?Gary will continue to play a major role in building a winning tradition and his input is instrumental in the success of this program,? Cohen concluded.
