Former Olympian Henson Added to NU Staff

Nebraska head wrestling coach Mark Manning announced Wednesday the addition of 2000 Olympic silver medalist, world champion, eight-year member of the national team and two-time national champion Sammie Henson to the Husker coaching staff as a volunteer assistant coach.

“We are excited to add Sammie to our coaching staff,” Manning said.  “He brings an intensity and work ethic to Nebraska that will help our lightweights become the best.  Sammie’s competitiveness and tenacity fits the mold of Nebraska wrestling.”

Henson comes to Nebraska with an impressive resume, including the silver medal in the freestyle competition at 55kg (121 lbs) at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney.  No stranger to success, Henson was a perfect 71-0 in his last two years at Clemson, including two national championships at 119 lbs as he wrestled for former NU All-American wrestler Gil Sanchez.  Henson was the 1994 ACC wrestler of the Year and was inducted into the Clemson Athletics Hall of Fame in 2000.  Henson came to Clemson from Missouri, where he was a 1991 Big Eight champion as a freshman.

“I’m excited about this opportunity,” Henson said.  “I worked with Manning at Northern Iowa, and I respect him as a coach and as a colleague.  He’s doing great things with this program.  There’s a lot of young talent at Nebraska, especially among the lightweights.”

A 1999 Sullivan Award Finalist, Henson won the world championship at 55kg in the freestyle in Iran in 1998.  He was named USOC Athlete of the Month in September 1998 for his efforts in the world championships.

Henson has built on his success as a competitor with extensive experience in the coaching ranks.  An assistant coach with Tennessee-Chattanooga last year, Henson was a two-year assistant coach at Penn State and also served on the coaching staffs of Army, Missouri, Oklahoma and with Manning at his previous post at Northern Iowa.

A 1994 graduate of Clemson with a degree in Park, Recreation and Tourism Management, Henson and his wife Stephanie have three children, Jackson (7), Wyatt (4) and Ruby (3).