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Moving on
Winning Lady Marlin coach Henderson is going to Salado
BY DAN PARKER SOUTH JETTY REPORTER
 | | SOUTH JETTY FILE PHOTO Henderson Port Aransas High School Lady Marlins coach Randy Henderson reacts to play on the court as the Lady Marlins played at the state semi finals in Austin last year. Henderson has resigned from PAHS to take a coaching job at Salado High School. |
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Port Aransas High School Lady Marlins basketball coach Randy Henderson, who led his teams to the playoffs each of the five years he coached here, has resigned to take a coaching job in Salado.
Henderson's 146-39 record at PAHS included taking the 2006-07 Lady Marlins to the state semi-fi- nals.
The Port Aransas Independent School District Board of Trustees will consider approving a replacement for Henderson, at least for his coaching duties, at the board's meeting today - Thursday, May 15.
PAHS Principal Travis Longanecker said the job has been offered to Stephanie Foerster, the head girls' basketball coach at Corrigan-Camden High School, in East Texas. However, Longanecker said, her hire is not a done deal until trustees approve it and she signs a contract. (See related story about Foerster, Page 6A.)
Henderson said a combination of personal and professional factors spurred him to take a job as a math teacher and head girls' basketball coach at Salado High School.
"I'm appreciative of all the administration and staff and faculty I've worked with over the past five years," Henderson said. "They've been great to work with and work for. I couldn't have asked for a better athletic director than Steve Reaves. … I also am grateful to the players who have played for me the past five years, all the time and dedication they have put into the programs."
The position at Salado High School is "an incredible opportunity," Henderson said.
"They have a lot of good, young players (who) I think could accomplish a lot of good things. Their youth sports program at Salado is strong."
Henderson, 38, said moving to Salado will put his family closer to relatives.
In addition to being coach of the Lady Marlins basketball team, Henderson was a math teacher and assistant softball coach at PAHS. He also served as the Brundrett Middle School cross-country coach for four of his five years at the Port Aransas Independent School District.
His last day at PAHS will be on Friday, May 30, the last day of school.
In comments at the Marlin Athletic Booster Club's annual Athletic Banquet on Tuesday, May 13, Reaves said Henderson did "a heck of a job keeping the girls' program going, and even building it up.
"Randy, I just want to thank you for the character and integrity you brought to school every day," Reaves said. "It will be missed."
PAHS Principal Travis Longanecker said Henderson "had a great career at PAHS, and I truly enjoyed working with him.
"I truly enjoyed working with him," Longanecker said. "We will miss him. I'm confident he will be successful at Salado."
Salado High School is a 2A school, while PAHS is class 1A. About 5,000 people live within the Salado Independent School District, which lies in and around the town of Salado, about 40 miles north of Austin.
The Lady Marlins were champions or co-champions of their basketball district each of the five years Henderson has worked at PAHS. The girls were area finalists in 2003-04; regional finalists in 2004-05; area finalists in 2005-06; state semi-finalists in 2006-07; and regional quarter finalists in 2007-2008.
Henderson saw his players achieve academic all-district status 39 times and academic all-state status 12 times, according to James Ashley, who has kept statistics on the Lady Marlins for years.
Lady Marlins have received all-district honors 35 times, all-region eight times and all-state six times during Henderson's tenure, Ashley said.
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