SETH HENSON
Assistant Coach (Multi-Events, Pole Vault, High Jump)
Seth Henson joined the Oregon track and field staff in July 2017, and works with the Ducks’ pole vaulters, high jumpers and multi-event athletes. Henson also serves as the program’s recruiting coordinator.
Henson came to Eugene after a three-year stint as an assistant coach at the University of Texas, where he worked with sprints, jumps, hurdles, relays and multi-event athletes. Henson also served as the Longhorns’ recruiting coordinator in 2017. Henson went to Texas after working for eight seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, Portland State.
While with the Longhorns, Henson 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.
Henson helped group a number of student-athletes while at Texas that went on to be highly successful. The 2017 season saw Henson’s athletes make a significant impact in the Big 12 Conference and at the NCAA Championships. 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 out finishing seventh in the heptathlon at the NCAA Championships and then eighth outdoors in the decathlon.
Wasik completed the indoor/outdoor sweep of the multi-events winning the decathlon at the Big 12 Championship with a dominant performance. He won with 7,715 points setting a Rock Chalk Park facility record in the process. Wasik also made a big impression on the meet finishing seventh in the open javelin and fifth in the 110m hurdles.
Henson’s jumpers put on a show indoors at the NCAA Championships with freshman O’Brien Wasome finishing third in the triple jump. His leap of 16.49m (54-1.25) made him just the fourth freshman in NCAA history to jump 16.40m. Sophomore Steffin McCarter took third in the long jump at the NCAA meet.
High jumper Spencer McCloud had his best season with Henson coaching him in 2017. McCloud scored at the conference championship meet for the first time in his career, finishing fourth indoors. He also scored outdoors for the first time, tying for fourth place.
In 2015, he helped Morolake Akinosun have one of the most successful seasons in school history. 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 men’s side, Senoj-Jay Givans won the 60 meter dash at the 2015 Big 12 Championships and eventually broke the school records in both the indoor 60 meters and the outdoor 100 meters.
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 as an assistant 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).
Before coaching at Portland State, Henson worked with La Salle High School in Milwaukie, Oregon, specializing in strength and conditioning, and working with the throwers and vaulters.
Henson graduated from Portland State in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in community health with a focus on physical activity and exercise. He and his wife, Melissa, now reside in Eugene.