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SDSU Names Eric Henderson New Men's Basketball Coach

SDSU Athletic Department

South Daktoa State University has promoted assistant men’s basketball coach Eric Henderson to its head coaching position. The School announced Tuesday Jackrabbits head coach TJ Otzelberger would be leaving Brookings to take the lead job at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.

SDSU Athletic Director Justin Sell said despite the list of coaches available on the open market, he knew right away that Eric Henderson was his primary candidate for the job.

"Everybody’s got their lists, and everybody is reaching out to say ‘hey you got to talk to this guy and do that,’ and for me it was really a determination that if Eric is the right guy, we should be moving forward," explained Sell. "We want to do things with integrity and we want to do them above board, and we want to handle people well. And then for our guys, it was a big deal to keep that continuity and I think a real sense of relief. They were so excited when I told them last night, and that alone, their reaction, was reassuring that we did the right thing."

This is Henderson’s first head coaching opportunity at the collegiate level.  Prior to becoming SDSU’s assistant coach three years ago, he spent time as an assistant coach with both North Dakota State University and Wayne State. Henderson is the 22nd head coach in the Jackrabbit men’s basketball program history.