Cam Henderson
Henderson at Marshall University in 1936
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| Sport(s) | Football, basketball, baseball |
|---|---|
| Biographical details | |
| Born |
February 5, 1890 Joetown, Marion County, West Virginia |
| Died | May 3, 1956 (aged 66) Huntington, West Virginia |
| Coaching career (HC unless noted) | |
| Football | |
| 1920–1922 | Muskingum |
| 1923–1934 | Davis & Elkins |
| 1935–1949 | Marshall |
| Basketball | |
| 1919–1923 | Muskingum |
| 1923–1935 | Davis & Elkins |
| 1935–1955 | Marshall |
| Baseball | |
| 1938 | Marshall |
| Head coaching record | |
| Overall | 163–91–13 (football) 631–242 (basketball) 6–3 (baseball) |
| Accomplishments and honors | |
| Championships | |
| National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Men's Basketball Championship (1947) | |
Eli Camden "Cam" Henderson (February 5, 1890 – May 3, 1956) was an American football, basketball, and baseball coach in the United States. He served as the head football coach at Muskingum College (1920–1922), Davis & Elkins College (1923–1934), and Marshall University (1935–1949), compiling a career college football record of 163–91–13. Henderson was also the head basketball coach at Muskingum (1919–1923), Davis & Elkins (1923–1935), and Marshall (1935–1955), tallying a career college basketball mark of 631–242. As a coach in basketball, he originated the fast break and the 2–3 zone defense, hallmarks of the modern game. His career mark for coaching is 800 wins against just 336 losses and 13 ties, a winning percentage of 70 percent in all sports.
Henderson was born in 1890 in the small town of Joetown in Marion County, West Virginia. He graduated from Glenville Normal School in 1911.
Henderson began coaching at Shinnston High School in rural West Virginia, then moved to Bristol, West Virginia, where no gymnasium existed on his arrival. Henderson managed to have a gym constructed there, but poorly-cured wood and a leaky roof resulted in a slippery floor. Henderson began to distribute his defenders in "zones" to avoid the slick spots. He then developed an offense of "breaking fast" off a missed basketball, with two forwards tearing down each sideline and a point guard bringing the ball up the court quickly for a number of options. Henderson is credited with the creation of the 2–3 zone defense and the fast break in basketball.
Henderson moved on to a head coaching position in football and basketball at Muskingum College in Ohio in 1919, but his greatest glory came during the period of 1923–34 as head basketball and football coach of Davis & Elkins College in Elkins, West Virginia. Henderson coached the first undefeated (22-0) W.Virginia collegiate basketball team (1924–1925) at Davis & Elkins and coached the first (proclaimed) D&E state collegiate football championship team in 1928. Henderson's 1933 team won the West Virginia Athletic Conference title. At Davis & Elkins, Henderson had a 220-40 record in basketball and an 83-33-6 record in football. His Davis & Elkins football teams beat much larger schools like West Virginia University, Army, Fordham, Villanova, George Washington and Navy.
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