Year of Service: 15th
Bridgewater State College ’80
Hometown: Saugus, MA
Education: BS, Health and Physical Education;
MEd, University of Massachusetts–Amherst ’85
The 2007–2008 season marks Dawn Henderson’s 15th season at the College after being named the head women’s basketball coach in 1993. Henderson has accumulated a 266-107 mark at TCNJ in 14 years, including a 185-55 record in New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) action. Under her guidance, the Lions have advanced to the NCAA Division III Second Round five times and the Elite Eight once. Overall in her coaching career, she boasts a record of 312-157 as she joined the elite 300-win club last year in the opening game of the season as the Lions secured a 53-48 victory over Ursinus College. Her 312 wins also rank her in the top 50 nationally for active coaches at the Division III level.
Following the team’s season-opening victory over Ursinus, a young TCNJ squad battled through several injuries to finish strong winning four of its final five games and clinched a spot in the NJAC Tournament for the 12th straight season. The Lions opened the tournament with an impressive 60-38 win at second-seeded Montclair State University, before having their season come to a close in the semis.
The team’s last Division III Tournament appearance was two seasons ago after capturing the 2006 NJAC Tournament for the third time as the Lions knocked off top-seeded Richard Stockton College by the score of 60-39. TCNJ then saw its successful campaign come to a close in the opening round of the NCAA Championships falling at nationally-ranked University of Mary Washington.
The Lions had another solid season in 2004-05 that saw TCNJ win the regular season title in the NJAC with a impressive 14-2 conference mark. Things didn’t go the Lions’ way in the conference tournament as the team saw their four-year run as the championship game host come to a close. The team hit the 20-win plateau marking the fifth time in Henderson’s tenure TCNJ has accomplished that feat. The Lions finished with a record of 20-6.
The 2003-2004 season culminated with the Lions advancing to the NCAA Second Round after defeating Hunter College in the first round after hosting the 2004 NJAC Championship game for the fourth year in a row. In the championship game, the Lions won the program’s second NJAC title beating William Paterson University.
Henderson began her career at TCNJ in fine fashion as she guided the Lions to a third-place finish in competitive league play and a spot in the 1994 NJAC Tournament after a two-year absence from postseason action. Her peers rewarded her with a selection as the 1994 NJAC Coach of the Year.
That success continued as the team posted a 16-8 overall record in 1994–1995 and in the following season, the Lions boasted a 19-7 record and won the program’s first-ever Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Metro Championship. TCNJ also finished the year with a 14-4 mark in the NJAC and earned its second bid to the league tournament under her mentorship.
In 1996–1997, the Lions returned to the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament after a nine-year absence. TCNJ sported an 18-9 log, collecting an 80-71 win over Colby-Sawyer College in the NCAA First Round before falling to Marymount (VA) University in the second round. The Lions’ won their own Lions’ Tip-Off Tournament, finished third in the conference race. In addition, Henderson collected her 100th career win that season as TCNJ defeated Jersey City State University, 63-37.
In her fifth season at TCNJ, the team finished with a 19-8 mark and earned a bid to the 1998 NCAA Tournament as the Lions were ranked third in the Atlantic Region. In NCAA action, the Lions advanced to the second round for the second time in as many years.
The 1998–1999 campaign was the breakout year for the Lions as the squad established several new records for the women’s basketball program, including being 24-0 during the regular season and winning 25 consecutive games. The Lions went 25-2 on the year and earned the program’s seventh NCAA berth, being one of just three programs nationally (on any level) to have gone undefeated during the regular season. TCNJ was ranked first among the 1999 NCAA Tournament field in field goal percentage defense (30.9%) and in scoring defense (44.3 points per game). The team finished 18-0 in the NJAC to take first in the league for the first time in school history—the honor coming on the heels of tournament championships in both the Lions’ Tip-Off Tournament and the Western Connecticut State University Holiday Hoopla Tournament. By the end of the season, TCNJ had been recognized by several organizations for its accomplishments, including a No. 2 ranking in the Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Association (WBCA) Division III poll. Henderson was once again named the NJAC Coach of the Year, while the New Jersey Collegiate Basketball Coaches’ Association (NJCBCA) tapped the Lions’ coaching staff as the best in the state.
During the 1999–2000 campaign, the Lions completed the season with a 20-5 mark and gained a third-place finish in the league. In 2000–2001 season, TCNJ earned the program’s eighth NCAA Tournament appearance and advanced to its first NCAA Elite Eight. In the Elite Eight, the Lions fell to Messiah College, the eventual national runner-up. TCNJ finished 25-4 overall and the team went 18-0 in the NJAC to claim the regular-season first-place spot for the second time in program history. The Lions also garnered the College’s first NJAC Championship with a 63-46 win over Richard Stockton College.
For her leadership, Henderson was honored as the 2001 WBCA District III Regional Coach of the Year. She picked up her 150th TCNJ career win with a 92-31 victory over Rutgers University-Newark and then earned her 200th overall career victory in the NJAC Championship as the Lions defeated Richard Stockton. Both milestones came within two weeks of each other in February 2001.
TCNJ got off to a slow start in 2001-2002 before going on a 17-3 tear, including an 11-game win streak during the second half of the season. The Lions ended the year with an overall record of 19-8, going 14-4 in the league to finish as the regular-season champions for the third time in four years. Henderson was named the 2002 NJAC Co-Coach of the Year for her efforts.
The Lions hosted the NJAC Championship for the third straight year in 2003 after they knocked off second-seeded Richard Stockton College in the semis.
Henderson previously served as the head women’s basketball coach at Worcester State (MA) College (1988-1990) and Drew (NJ) University (1990-1992) and came to the College from South Hunterdon Regional High School in Lambertville, New Jersey.
In addition to her role as head women’s basketball coach, Henderson serves as TCNJ’s senior woman administrator and as the senior associate athletic director.
Henderson’s Career Coaching Record
School Year Overall Pct. NJAC Pct.
Worcester State 1988-89 12-13 .480
Worcester State 1989-90 19-8 .704
Drew University 1990-91 10-13 .435
Drew University 1991-92 5-16 .238
Trenton State College 1993-94 14-11 .560 10-8* .556
Trenton State College 1994-95 16-8 .667 12-6 .667
Trenton State College 1995-96 19-7 .731 14-4* .778
The College of New Jersey 1996-97 18-9 .667 13-5* .722
The College of New Jersey 1997-98 19-8 .704 13-5* .722
The College of New Jersey 1998-99 25-2 .926 18-0* 1.000
The College of New Jersey 1999-00 20-5 .800 15-3* .833
The College of New Jersey 2000-01 25-4 .862 18-0*! 1.000
The College of New Jersey 2001-02 19-8 .704 14-4* .778
The College of New Jersey 2002-03 20-7 .741 14-4* .778
The College of New Jersey 2003-04 19-9 .679 10-3*! .769
The College of New Jersey 2004-05 20-6 .769 14-2* .875
The College of New Jersey 2005-06 19-9 .678 13-5*! .722
The College of New Jersey 2006-07 13-14 .481 7-6* .538
Totals 18 Seasons 312-157 .665 185-55 .770
TCNJ Totals 14 Seasons 266-107 .713 185-55 .770
*NJAC Tournament participant
! NJAC Champions
