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HHS coach Henry resigns

HHS COACH HENRY RESIGNS

When Nate Henry became Hutchinson High boys basketball coach, he didn’t have much time to adjust to his new role. Late in February 2009, Henry became interim coach with one regular-season game left after Brad Specht’s resignation. Three games later, Henry and the Salthawks were hoisting an unlikely Class 5A substate championship trophy. It wasn’t as easy as it may have appeared for Henry, although that trip to state helped him become the Salthawks’ permanent coach. Now, after six-plus seasons, Henry is stepping aside. “Those three games (in 2009) gave me first-hand look at how hard it is to get a team prepared at the varsity level,” said Henry, who announced his resignation Tuesday afternoon. “It’s easy when you’re on seat ‘B’ but not so much when you slide over to seat ‘A’.” Henry’s resignation comes less than a week after Hutchinson ended its 4-17 season. Henry, however, said his decision was more family related than basketball related. He and his wife, Alma, a Hutchinson Middle School teacher, have two children. “Stepping aside has nothing to do with wins and losses,” said Henry, who said he would continue to teach history at the high school. “For four-and-a-half months during the season, you don’t really get to see your family.” While the Salthawks struggled to win this season, they showed resilience against a brutal schedule. They earned an exciting late-season win at Newton, and they held a nine-point halftime lead in the first round of substate against Maize, a game Maize won by eight. “I can’t fault the kids,” Henry said. “They battled all year, and I couldn’t have been more proud of how they handled the season. They gave us an opportunity to be successful. The kids were great. They ended the season with their heads held high.” Henry’s tenure began with that trip to the state tournament. The Salthawks entered postseason play 9-11 but won both substate games. A 45-42 win against Emporia in Salina gave the Salthawks their first trip to a state tournament since 2002. “I remember how well the kids responded and how well they handled a difficult situation,” Henry said. The Salthawks won between 11 and 13 games each season for the next five until this season. This season, the Salthawks were inexperienced and had little height outside of 6-foot-4 sharpshooter Trent Webster. Despite the tough season, Henry said he didn’t lose his passion for basketball. “I love coaching basketball,” he said. “I’ll continue to teach, but for the present time, I’m done with coaching. It’s time for me to step away and reflect on things. I love teaching in this district, and I have to thank the administration here. They gave a chance to a 32-year-old kid to coach at a 6A high school.”

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