COLLEGE STATION – Texas A&M Football added another assistant coach with a national championship on his résumé when Aggie head coach Jimbo Fisher named coaching veteran Josh Henson to his staff on Monday.
Recognized twice as one of the nation’s top 25 recruiters, the 20-year coaching veteran has served coaching stints under Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State, Les Miles at Oklahoma State and LSU and Gary Pinkel at Missouri. Henson was a part of the LSU’s 2007 national championship squad.
Henson comes to Texas A&M after three seasons at his alma mater, Oklahoma State, where he coached the offensive line in 2017-18 after one campaign as an offensive analyst.
Despite having to field seven different starting offensive line combinations in 2018 because of injuries, Henson’s group helped pave the way for a Cowboy offense that ranked in the top 15 nationally in scoring offense, total offense, passing offense and first downs. Additionally, the Cowboys ranked second in the Big 12 in rushing offense (190.3 yards per game), rushing touchdowns (30) and rushing yards per carry (4.8).
In 2017, Henson’s offensive line cleared the way for a Cowboy offense that led the nation in passing offense, ranked second nationally in total offense and first downs, ranked third nationally in pass efficiency and ranked fourth nationally in scoring offense. Additionally, the Cowboys became the first offense in Big 12 history with a 4,000-yard passer (Mason Rudolph), two 1,000-yard receivers (James Washington and Marcell Ateman) and a 1,000-yard rusher (Justice Hill).
Prior to his second stint at Oklahoma State, Henson oversaw the Missouri Tiger offensive front for seven seasons from 2009-15 and also served as offensive coordinator from 2013-15. During his time at Mizzou, Henson helped the Tigers to back-to-back SEC East titles in 2013-14. As offensive coordinator, he helped the Tigers to a trip to the Cotton Bowl at the end of the 2013 season and an appearance in the Citrus Bowl at the end of the 2014 season. From 2013-15, four of Henson’s offensive linemen from Missouri were drafted into the NFL.
From 2005-08, Henson served as LSU’s tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator. Henson helped assemble a pair of top-10 recruiting classes in 2006 and 2007 that helped the Tigers win the BCS National Championship in 2008. For his efforts, Henson was ranked as one of college football’s top 25 recruiters in 2006 and 2007 by Rivals.com.
Henson’s first college coaching job was as graduate assistant at Oklahoma State in 1999 and he was elevated to tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator in 2001. As recruiting coordinator, Henson played a key role in OSU’s 2003 signing class being ranked No. 15 in the nation by Rivals.com. A year earlier, Rivals.com rated the Cowboy class as the 26th-best in the country.
As a player, Henson was a standout offensive lineman for the Cowboys who logged 37 starts over his four-year career. As a senior in 1997, he was a second-team All-Big 12 performer and was a leader for a Cowboy squad that went 8-4 and finished second in the Big 12 South.
After graduating in 1998 with a degree in secondary education, Henson went straight into coaching, serving as a high school football coach in Kingfisher, Okla. In one season at Kingfisher, he helped guide the Yellowjackets to the Oklahoma state semifinals.
The Henson File
Personal
Birthdate: July 14, 1975
Hometown: Tuttle, Okla.
Wife: Shauna
Children: daughter, Kate; son, Will
Education
College: Oklahoma State, 1998
Playing Experience
1993-97 Oklahoma State
Coaching Experience
Year
School
Position
1998
Kingfisher HS (Okla.)
Assistant Coach
1999
Oklahoma State
Graduate Assistant
2001-04
Oklahoma State
Tight Ends / Recruiting Coordinator
2005-08
LSU
Tight Ends / Recruiting Coordinator
2009-12
Missouri
Co-Offensive Line
2013-15
Missouri
Offensive Coordinator / Offensive Line
2016
Oklahoma State
Offensive Analyst
2017-18
Oklahoma State
Offensive Line
2018-
Texas A&M
Offensive Line
Postseason Experience
2002 Houston Bowl (Oklahoma State)
2004 Cotton Bowl (Oklahoma State)
2004 Alamo Bowl (LSU)
2005 Peach Bowl (LSU)
2007 Sugar Bowl (LSU)
2008 BCS National Championship Game (LSU)
2008 Peach Bowl (LSU)
2009 Texas Bowl (Missouri)
2010 Insight Bowl (Missouri)
2011 Independence Bowl (Missouri)
2014 Cotton Bowl (Missouri)
2014 Citrus Bowl (Missouri)
2016 Alamo Bowl (Oklahoma State)
2017 Camping World Bowl (Oklahoma State)
2018 Liberty Bowl (Oklahoma State)
Prominent Pupils
Billy Bajema, Baltimore Ravens
Tim Barnes, Los Angeles Rams
Evan Boehm, Arizona Cardinals
Justin Britt, Seattle Seahawks
Richard Dickson, Detroit Lions
Charlie Johnson, Indianapolis Colts
Brad Lundblade, Seattle Seahawks
Connor McGovern, Denver Broncos
Mitch Morse, Kansas City Chiefs
Brandon Pettigrew, Detroit Lions
Keith Zinger, Atlanta Falcons
