State of New Mexico Michelle Lujan Grisham Governor August 20, 2020 John Doleva, President and CEO ‘Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Springfield, Massachusetts President Doleva, 1 imagine it is rare for a governor to involve herself in the matter of who is and is not honored at your distinguished facility. But I feel strongly enough about Lou Henson, and his legacy of ieadership on the sideline and in my proud home state, that I am compelled to write you and kindly ask that you forward my recommendation of his qualifications for induction to the appropriate screening committee for consideration. Coach Henson, who as you know died in July at the age of 88, was an exemplary model of sportsmanship and an incredible teacher of the game, who also brought a streak of faimess and equity to the world of college basketball at a time when that was extremely controversial. His winning history as a coach speaks for itself. He is the all-time leader in victories at two prominent basketball powerhouses. But his streaks of suecess across two remarkable tenures cast a long shadow at New Mexico State University in particular. During his first stint with the Aggies, from 1966 to 1975, he led the team to the NCAA Tournament five times and secured the school’s — and our state’s — only Final Four appearance in 1970. The school coaxed him out of retirement in 1997 after many incredibly successful years at the University of Illinois. The school where he first made his mark was in ethical and financial turmoil, and it is said he volunteered to coach for one dollar that year. The next season, his undersized Aggies made a run to win the 1999 Big West regular season and tournament titles, and their NCAA Tournament appearance was Henson's 18" in his career. State Capitol + Room 4oo + Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 * 505-476-2200John Doleva, President and CEO August 20, 2020 Page 2 But he was at least equally impactful off the court. His first collegiate coaching job ~ Hardin- Simmons in Abilene, Texas, in 1962 — required of him a moral statement. He only accepted the post after compelling school leaders to desegregate the team and permit a Hispanic assistant coach on his staff. That’s who he was. In 1969, when there were only a small handful of black assistant coaches in all of college basketball, Lou didn’t hesitate in hiring his former player and New Mexico native Rob Evans to his staff at State. Evans went on to be head coach at Ole Miss and other Division I schools. He was about winning and equitable opportunity for all. Those two things were not mutually exclusive for Coach Henson. Lou Henson was by all accounts a gentleman, He did not have an ego. He was not a red-faced screamer, though he coached against them often enough. He was an educator, a humble student of the game himself. He was strict, and he could be demanding, but he was not harsh or mean-spirited. He was a good winner and a good loser — though he certainly did more of the former, with 779 in his career. He treated players, fans, referees, opposing teams and coaches with grace and dignity and respect. His tremendous success as a coach, his push to desegregate the sport and his unwavering sportsmanship and kindness, in equal measure, qualify Lou Henson for consideration as one of the greatest basketball coaches of all time, and I respectfully ask that his career and legacy be considered for induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Sincerely, Michelle Lujan Grisham Governor of New Mexico State Capitol + Room 4oo * Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501 * 505-476-2200 * fax: 505-476-2226