The Drake Bulldogs have a new men's basketball coach as, according to The Field of 68's Jeff Goodman, they're hiring South Dakota State's Eric Henderson for the vacant position.
The team later announced the news on its website.
𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐃𝐞𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬, 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐇𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 ‼️
— Drake Basketball (@DrakeBulldogsMB) March 28, 2025
We are ecstatic to announce the hiring of Eric Henderson as the 31st head coach in Drake men’s basketball history.
🏀📰➡️ https://t.co/bYd5t78PNa#DSMHometownTeam pic.twitter.com/1BmL3PdVwQ
"My family and I are elated to join Drake Nation," said Henderson in a statement. "Early on in this process it became evident that values and vision aligned with the incredible path President Martin and Brian Hardin have already established. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity they have given me and my family to walk that path with them. The excitement for Drake basketball is at an all-time high, and I'm looking forward to building relationships and representing such a committed university and fan base. Go Bulldogs!"
Henderson is set to become Drake's third head coach in three years—albeit for good reason. After bringing the Bulldogs to two straight NCAA tournament appearances in 2023 and '24, Darian DeVries—now at Indiana—left for West Virginia last offseason. Ben McCollum then followed suit with a 31-3 record in '25, and last week accepted the head coaching job at the University of Iowa.
With big shoes to fill in Des Moines, Henderson is also leaving a pair behind in Brookings, S.D. The 46-year-old led the Jackrabbits to a 129-60 record over six seasons at the helm, including four Summit League regular season titles, and two Summit League tournament titles—leading to two auto-bids into the NCAA tournament.
Henderson also won the Summit League's Coach of the Year award in 2020 and '22. He'll now look to take Drake back to the NCAA tournament for a sixth time in the last seven years.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Drake Hires South Dakota State's Eric Henderson as Next Head Coach.
