Mitch Henderson
We earlier mentioned that the academics at Stanford make this feel more like an Ivy League position, meaning it’s not a bad idea to look at those coaches tearing it up in the actual Ivy League. In this case, Henderson has more than proven that he’s worthy of attention at a bigger school, but would Stanford be the right move for either side?
An Indiana native, Henderson went east to star at Princeton in the 90’s before starting his coaching career under former college coach Bill Carmody at Northwestern. After more than a decade back in the Midwest, he took the Princeton head coaching job in 2011 and has held it ever since. He’s kept Princeton among the best in the Ivy League on a yearly basis, with last season’s run to the Sweet Sixteen as a 15-seed being the clear highlight.
Henderson already understands the recruiting turmoil at Princeton and could be able to build success in a similar manner at Stanford. Heading from one coast to the other would be quite the change for Henderson, though he’s at least geographically familiar with some of the other programs in Stanford’s new league. It’s a name that might not aspire a lot of confidence, considering his only major experience was with a mediocre Northwestern team, but he just might be the guy who can slowly build something here.