UK Baseball Coach Gary Henderson Resigns

by:Nick Roush•06/01/16•

@RoushKSR

[caption id="attachment_177816" align="alignnone" width="600"] (Chet White, UK Athletics)

Chet White, UK Athletics[/caption] Gary Henderson has resigned after spending eight seasons as the head coach of the Kentucky baseball team. His resignation comes after the Cats missed the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year. Mitch Barnhart said in a statement:

“I am deeply appreciative of the contributions Gary Henderson made during his time here,” Barnhart said. “He has poured his heart and soul into Kentucky baseball, giving us many of the best seasons and most thrilling moments in our history while competing in the most difficult league in America. He has conducted himself and the program with honor and integrity. Already solid in the classroom, he challenged the team to even greater success academically and the players responded with several consecutive semesters with a team grade-point average over 3.0. Again, I am thankful for everything he has done at UK and wish the best for Gary and his family.”

Henderson took UK to new heights in 2012, winning 22 straight games while sitting atop college baseball as the No. 1 team in the country for three weeks. He also helped groom A.J. Reed into the consensus National Player of the Year in 2014. The Cats reached four NCAA Tournaments under Henderson. However, Henderson's teams never advanced beyond the Regional Tournament. With a talented roster in 2016, he was criticized by many for a late-season collapse, something that had become commonplace during Henderson's tenure. UPDATE Henderson has penned a letter to the Big Blue Nation, beginning with:

It has been an honor and a distinct privilege to represent the University of Kentucky as head baseball coach. It has been a source of pride to compete in the SEC for 17 years, including the last 13 at Kentucky, eight as head coach and five as an assistant coach. We've just completed five consecutive 30+ win seasons, for the first time in Kentucky Baseball history, and we've competed in two NCAA regionals. That said, it is 100% my decision to resign at this time, based in part because the results don't meet my expectations.

To read the letter in its entirety, click here.