Johnson Tabs Henson As Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator
07/21/17 | Track and Field
Seth Henson has been hired as Oregon track and field’s new pole vault, high jump and multi-events coach, as well as recruiting coordinator, head coach Robert Johnson announced on Friday
EUGENE, Ore. – Seth Henson has been hired as Oregon track and field's new pole vault, high jump and multi-events coach, head coach Robert Johnson announced on Friday. Henson will also serve as the team's recruiting coordinator.
"We are excited to welcome Seth and his wife Melissa to the Duck family," Johnson said. "Seth has proven himself as a successful coach and a relentless recruiter. He will have an immediate impact on our program. He is passionate about the sport and about enhancing the lives of student-athletes."
Henson comes to Eugene with 11 years of experience as a collegiate track and field coach and recruiting coordinator, working the past three years at Texas after eight seasons at Portland State.
"It's an honor to join such an accomplished staff and historically successful program," said Henson. "I want to thank Coach Johnson and the University of Oregon for this incredible opportunity. I'm so excited to be back in the Pacific Northwest."
While with the Longhorns, Henson worked with sprints, jumps, hurdles, relays and multi-event athletes while also working as the recruiting coordinator. He helped the program win nine total Big 12 titles, indoors and outdoors, over three seasons, as well as fourth-place NCAA finishes both indoors and outdoors by the women's team in 2016.
A native of Albany, Ore., Henson helped groom a number of student-athletes at Texas who went on to find great success. Most recently in 2017, he coached the trio of Steele Wasik, Wolf Mahler and George Patrick to a 1-2-3 finish in the heptathlon at the Big 12 Conference Indoor Championship. Mahler would go on to earn first-team All-America status both indoors and outdoors, finishing seventh in the heptathlon at the NCAA Championships and then eighth outdoors in the decathlon. Henson also coached freshman O'Brien Wasome to a third place finish in the triple jump at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships. His leap of 16.49m (54-1.25) made him just the fourth freshman in NCAA history to jump 16.40m.
Henson also helped Morolake Akinosun put together one of the most successful seasons in school history in 2015, as she pulled off the double in the 100 and 200 meters at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships and also ran on both relay teams to win four conference titles. She then proceeded to earn first team All-America honors in all four events as well to become only the second woman in NCAA history to score in four different events outdoors in back-to-back years.
On the recruiting trail, Henson helped the Longhorns land the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation. The women's 2015 signing class was named the best in the nation by Track & Field News that included a number of athletes ranked the best in their respective events not only in the U.S. but also from Canada.
In his eight seasons at Portland State, Henson oversaw throws, combined events and jumps while also serving as the recruiting coordinator. During his tenure, his athletes produced 19 Big Sky Conference championships, two Big Sky Championships Outstanding Performers, three NCAA Championship qualifiers and 14 NCAA West Regional qualifiers.
With the Vikings, Henson helped Nick Trubachik become a four-time Big Sky champion in the heptathlon and decathlon and a 2010 NCAA first-team all-American in the decathlon, and in 2014 he guided Gifton Okoronkwo (triple jump) and Baileh Simms (long jump) to Big Sky Conference titles and U.S. Junior National qualifiers along with Cecelia Jackson (100H).
Henson graduated from Portland State in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in community health with a focus on physical activity and exercise.
"We are excited to welcome Seth and his wife Melissa to the Duck family," Johnson said. "Seth has proven himself as a successful coach and a relentless recruiter. He will have an immediate impact on our program. He is passionate about the sport and about enhancing the lives of student-athletes."
Henson comes to Eugene with 11 years of experience as a collegiate track and field coach and recruiting coordinator, working the past three years at Texas after eight seasons at Portland State.
"It's an honor to join such an accomplished staff and historically successful program," said Henson. "I want to thank Coach Johnson and the University of Oregon for this incredible opportunity. I'm so excited to be back in the Pacific Northwest."
While with the Longhorns, Henson worked with sprints, jumps, hurdles, relays and multi-event athletes while also working as the recruiting coordinator. He helped the program win nine total Big 12 titles, indoors and outdoors, over three seasons, as well as fourth-place NCAA finishes both indoors and outdoors by the women's team in 2016.
A native of Albany, Ore., Henson helped groom a number of student-athletes at Texas who went on to find great success. Most recently in 2017, he coached the trio of Steele Wasik, Wolf Mahler and George Patrick to a 1-2-3 finish in the heptathlon at the Big 12 Conference Indoor Championship. Mahler would go on to earn first-team All-America status both indoors and outdoors, finishing seventh in the heptathlon at the NCAA Championships and then eighth outdoors in the decathlon. Henson also coached freshman O'Brien Wasome to a third place finish in the triple jump at the 2017 NCAA Indoor Championships. His leap of 16.49m (54-1.25) made him just the fourth freshman in NCAA history to jump 16.40m.
Henson also helped Morolake Akinosun put together one of the most successful seasons in school history in 2015, as she pulled off the double in the 100 and 200 meters at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships and also ran on both relay teams to win four conference titles. She then proceeded to earn first team All-America honors in all four events as well to become only the second woman in NCAA history to score in four different events outdoors in back-to-back years.
On the recruiting trail, Henson helped the Longhorns land the No. 1 recruiting class in the nation. The women's 2015 signing class was named the best in the nation by Track & Field News that included a number of athletes ranked the best in their respective events not only in the U.S. but also from Canada.
In his eight seasons at Portland State, Henson oversaw throws, combined events and jumps while also serving as the recruiting coordinator. During his tenure, his athletes produced 19 Big Sky Conference championships, two Big Sky Championships Outstanding Performers, three NCAA Championship qualifiers and 14 NCAA West Regional qualifiers.
With the Vikings, Henson helped Nick Trubachik become a four-time Big Sky champion in the heptathlon and decathlon and a 2010 NCAA first-team all-American in the decathlon, and in 2014 he guided Gifton Okoronkwo (triple jump) and Baileh Simms (long jump) to Big Sky Conference titles and U.S. Junior National qualifiers along with Cecelia Jackson (100H).
Henson graduated from Portland State in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in community health with a focus on physical activity and exercise.
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