Bonnie Henrickson, Virginia Tech head women’s basketball coach, will be the new Kansas University women’s basketball coach, according to the Roanoke (Va.) Times and World News.
“We had a very solid package in place for her with an annuity to try to help her have long-term security here,” Tech athletic director Jim Weaver told the Times and World News on Friday night. “I had hoped she would finish her career here, but I think Kansas must have a tremendous offer in place.
“She indicated she had no problems at all. It was just a wonderful offer and a gut decision. … I think part of it was the challenge at the University of Kansas and I think part of it is a wonderful offer that must be there, because if they’re willing to buy her out … they must be offering an incredible amount of money.”
The Times and World News could not contact Henrickson on Friday. Weaver said the coach had a flight that evening
Weaver told the Times and World News that Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins, who was familiar with Henrickson from his previous job as Connecticut’s AD, called 2 1/2 weeks ago for permission to speak with Henrickson. Weaver said “we all agreed” that no conversation with Henrickson would take place until the end of Tech’s season.
The Hokies season ended at 23-8 after a loss to No. 1 seed Penn State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Tuesday. According to the Times and World News, Henrickson informed Weaver on Thursday that she had met with Perkins in St. Louis, where the Kansas men’s team is playing in the NCAA tournament.
The Times and World News also reported that Henrickson called Weaver on Friday morning to tell him she was leaving. Henrickson and Weaver met Friday afternoon. Weaver said he asked Henrickson whether there was anything Tech could do in terms of renegotiating her contract to keep her, but he said Henrickson told him she was comfortable with her decision. Weaver also told the Roanoke paper that Kansas would have a news conference Monday.
Henrickson broke the news to her players in a meeting Friday afternoon, according to the Times and World News. Weaver also met with the players.
“Everybody’s just shocked. I don’t think we’ve quite grasped the whole situation yet,” sophomore forward Kerri Gardin told the Times and World News. Gardin also told the paper that Henrickson said the Kansas job was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.
According to the Times and World News, Henrickson, 40, was hired as Tech’s head coach in 1997 and got a new contract in 1999. She got another new contract in 2002, with a base salary of $164,735 and also $75,000 in supplemental pay. Her contract, which also included performance incentives, would have been automatically renewed at the end of the month.
Henrickson led the Hokies to 158 victories and five NCAA Tournament trips in seven seasons. Virginia Tech never won fewer than 20 games under Henrickson or missed the postseason, making the Women’s National Invitational Tournament in the two seasons it missed the NCAA Tournament.
Henrickson is used to quick success, leading the Hokies to their first Atlantic 10 Conference championship in the 1997-98 season, her first in Blacksburg, Va. The next season, Virginia Tech won a school-record 28 games and reached the Sweet 16.
Henrickson was named A-10 coach of the year after the Hokies went 15-1 in conference play and was named an assistant coach for Team USA. She was named head coach of the women’s USA Basketball R. William Jones Cup team two seasons later.
Before becoming the head coach at Virginia Tech, Henrickson was an assistant coach at Iowa from 1995-97, an associate head coach at Virginia Tech from 1993-95 and an assistant coach there from 1988-93. She led the Hawkeyes to a Sweet 16 appearance and two Big 10 Conference titles.
According to Weaver, Kansas must pay Virginia Tech about $523,000 under the buyout clause in Henrickson’s contract. That is the total of her base salary for the next three years.
A native of Willmar, Minn., Henrickson also had spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at Western Illinois and one year as a student assistant at St. Cloud State, her alma mater. As a player, she helped SCSU go 97-25 during her four years, win three Northern Sun Conference titles and advance to three Division Two quarterfinals. She also was a three-time member of the all-conference team and was a team captain as a junior and senior.
Henrickson will replace Marian Washington, who announced her retirment Feb. 27 after leading the Jayhawks for 31 seasons. Washington had missed the previous month because of an undisclosed health problems. KU assistant coach Lynette Woodard took over on an interim basis and coached the Jayhawks to a 1-9 record in their final 10 regular-season games.
Bonnie Henrickson bio