Don Henry came to Gannon in 1984 with the task of resurrecting the wrestling program. Thirty-nine years later he retired at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season, but not before building one of the most respected programs in Division II.
The numbers quantifying Henry's success are staggering. He accumulated 233 wins while mentoring 47 All-Americans, 35 regional champions, 115 national qualifiers, and 139 NWCA Scholar All-Americans.
Henry was named the NWCA Division II National Coach of the Year in 2021 and was the NCAA Super Regional One Coach of the Year in 2017 and 2021. In addition he was selected the NCAA East Region Coach of the Year three times.
This is the third Hall of Fame induction for the former Harbor Creek High School standout. He was inducted into the NCAA Div. II Wrestling Coaches Association Hall of Fame in March of 2014 at the NCAA Division I National Championships. In 2016 he was inducted into the Slippery Rock University Athletics Hall of Fame. In addition, he received the NWCA Robert Bubb Coaching Excellence Award in 2003 and again in 2012.
Henry's success was not immediate at Gannon. He was hired to resurrect a program that had been dormant since 1971. His first team in 1984-85 went 0-10 in dual meets and finished 12th out of 12 teams in the regional.
Gannon went 15-58 in dual meets during Henry's first six seasons, but he was steadily building the foundation for his program. He placed his coaching emphasis on wrestler development, not dual-meet records.
Throughout the years, he propelled the program into the national spotlight, regularly sending multiple wrestlers to the NCAA Championships. Henry coached his first All-American in 1987-88 when Sean Haight placed seventh at Nationals at 126 pounds. The Knights had their first winning season under Henry in 1990-91 when they went 6-4, led by 134-lb. All-AmericanÂ
Tom Boyd (sixth place), who later became Henry's long-time assistant coach and is now Gannon's head coach.
The 2000-01 season stands out as a special one as Gannon placed seventh at the NCAA Championships, the highest finish ever, while Doug Joseph won Gannon's lone national championship at 197 pounds.
The Golden Knights excelled in the classroom as well. The program ranked 20th in Division II with a 3.163 grade-point average in 2022-23, and the team had nine NWCA Scholar All-Americans. That type of academic success was a hallmark during Henry's time as head coach.
Henry received his bachelor of science degree in Parks and Recreation from Slippery Rock in 1983. He was a four-year wrestler at Slippery Rock and served as team captain his last two seasons. He was a three-time PSAC place winner. He was a two-time NCAA Division I national qualifier at 142 pounds.
In addition to serving as Gannon's wrestling coach he was a longtime Director of Intramurals and the Carneval Athletic Pavilion at Gannon until stepping down from both positions during the summer of 2014.
On January 28, 2017 the University held a Blessing and Dedication for the newly-constructed wrestling room that was part of the Gannon Recreation and Wellness Center renovations thanks to an estate gift of $50,000 by Henry in memory of his deceased wife. The gift named the Don and Diane Henry Wrestling Room. Â Henry was married to his current wife Mindy on Sept. 1, 2023.
