USF Athletics

Bulls Pay Tribute to Former Men's Tennis Assistant Henderson

May 15, 2020

By TOM ZEBOLD
USF Senior Writer

TAMPA, MAY 15, 2020 – Mention the name Mike Henderson to people who have been around USF Athletics for a while and there's a really good chance you'll get a heartwarming response.

For about 20 years, Henderson was known for his caring personality as a coworker and friend of countless Bulls. On the court, the veteran assistant and volunteer coach used his calm and kind demeanor to help several USF men's tennis players elevate their performance level, much like he did for top professionals like Jimmy Arias, Jim Courier and Aaron Krickstein.

Members and friends of USF Athletics have been honoring the memory of Henderson since he passed away at the age of 62 from a heart attack on May 5.

"Mike was a rare individual," former USF head coach Don Barr said. "He was as good of a brother as you could ever have. He was so loyal and so friendly. I can't say enough adjectives about him."

Now retired and living in Florence, Ky., Barr has been close friends with Henderson since they met in the Bay area while working at the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy during the 1980s.

"He was actually in charge of the conditioning program for all the pros," Barr said. 

The longtime tennis instructors joined forces at USF "shortly after" Barr was promoted to head coach of the men's team in 1992. Together, they guided the Bulls to league titles in three differences conferences - Metro (1995), Conference USA (1996, '98, '99, 2002) and Big East (2009). Throughout the impressive run of sustained success, USF made nine NCAA tournament appearances and steadily improved its national rankings. 

"I couldn't have made it without Mike," said Barr. "He was so supportive."

USF's head coach for 20 seasons always appreciated Henderson for stepping up to guide the team while Barr dealt with adversity that included a series of health setbacks and the loss of his son.

"With all those kind of things that happened to me, we still managed to be successful as a team. I gotta give Mike the credit for that," Barr said. "... Out of 20 years, I would say for a good eight years he was very instrumental in being able to control things."

After his tenure with USF men's tennis ended, Henderson stayed busy in the Bay area teaching private lessons on top of answering his important calling as a man of strong faith. Serving as a dedicated missionary, Henderson led goodwill efforts in the Dominican Republic for several years through the SCORE International organization.

"Every year, he kept looking forward to it," Barr said. "He made it longer stays and longer stays. He made that his true mission."

SCORE International recently published a touching tribute to Henderson. Accompanying the story are fond memories from friends and fellow members of Idlewild Baptist Church in Lutz, Fla., where Henderson was a longtime member.

"I will remember Mike as a faithful servant who loved God, served others, and had many friends. I will ever be grateful that I was one among the many. The Heavenly Choir is sweeter today," Idlewild Baptist Church minister Ron Upton said in the post.

Just two weeks ago, Barr talked to his best friend about USF clothing he's collected through the years and thought would be useful for people in the Dominican Republic. Henderson loved to use tennis as a platform to train and uplift athletes in the country during mission trips he looked forward to continuing after the COVID-19 pandemic.

"He was so excited," said Barr. "He gave me his address."

Despite receiving the unfortunate news last week, it won't be difficult for Bulls near and far to find happiness when they think of Henderson in the future.

"Mike was a guy who committed his life to helping people and to tennis," current USF men's tennis head coach Ashley Fisher said. "He had a positive energy about him and it was so clear he was full of love, class and integrity. I know how many lives he touched and he will always be remembered and honored at USF."

No public services for Henderson are scheduled at this time. Receive a notification when services are updated by visiting Henderson's obituary page at DignityMemorial.com.


 
About Men's Tennis
Be sure to follow USF men's tennis on social media (Twitter / Facebook / Instagram) and visit GoUSFBulls.com for the most up-to-date information. Head coach Ashley Fisher will begin his fourth year at the helm of the program for the 2019 season after leading the Bulls to their fifth American Conference Championship title.