University of Missouri Head Football Coach Gary Pinkel announced promotions for a pair of staff members on the offensive side of the ball. Josh Henson has been named offensive coordinator, and Andy Hill has been named associate head coach, and will now coach quarterbacks.
Henson, 37, has been Mizzou’s co-offensive line coach since joining the MU staff from LSU prior to the 2009 season. Six of his offensive line pupils at MU have won all-star honors nine times in his tenure, including the most recent being true freshman guard Evan Boehm, who was named a 1st-Team Freshman All-American by College Football News following the recently completed season. Mizzou’s offensive line helped pave the way to a conference team rushing title in 2011 (ranking 9th nationally), and also to a final national rank of 12th in total offense (475.54 ypg).
Hill, 50, just finished his 17th season on the Tiger sideline. Hill has a long-standing track record of coaching and recruiting success at Mizzou, and he’s helped develop three 1st-Team All-Americans in the past five seasons – WR Jeremy Maclin, WR Danario Alexander and TE Michael Egnew. He has been part of Gary Pinkel’s staff for all 12 seasons at Mizzou, after serving for five seasons (1996-2000) on former Coach Larry Smith’s staff.
“I’m excited for both Josh and Andy, and for our team,” said Pinkel. “They are both deserving of these opportunities and I’m confident that they are going to do great things to move our program forward. Josh has been a key part of our system for four years and he will bring his own style to how we will operate. Andy is an outstanding teacher of the game. His experience and knowledge of our complex passing game, as well as his energy and drive, will translate well, and will give him a unique perspective that he’ll bring to the quarterback position group.”
Henson spent four years prior to MU at LSU, where he coached tight ends and was recruiting coordinator for four classes which ranked among the top 10 in the nation, from 2005-08. Prior to that, he held the same role at Oklahoma State, his alma mater, from 2001-04. A native of Tuttle, Okla., Henson was an offensive lineman for the Cowboys (1993-97), and earned his degree from OSU in 1998.
Henson was part of staffs at both Oklahoma State and LSU which produced record-setting passing offenses and included NFL first-round draft pick receivers Rashaun Woods (2004), Dwayne Bowe (2007) and Buster Davis (2007).
“I’m so grateful to Coach Pinkel for the opportunity to take this next step,” Henson said. “We have a tradition at Mizzou of having a lot of success offensively, and I look forward to rolling up our sleeves as an offensive staff and getting us going. We have a lot of talented young men who are anxious to get out there and show what they can do. I’m excited to get to work,” he said.
Hill, a Trenton, Mo. native, played receiver for Mizzou from 1980-84, and he earned his degree from MU in 1985.
“This is a great opportunity and I’m really eager for the chance to branch out in this new role,” said Hill. “We have a really gifted group of quarterbacks that I’ll get to work with and I’m excited to dig in and get to work. Mizzou is such an important place to me and to my family. Not many people in this business get to coach at their alma mater for as long as I have, and I’m grateful to have that chance,” he said.
Details of the new contracts for Henson and Hill are being finalized, and will be available upon completion. Pinkel said that a search for a receivers coach is underway, with no timetable set for that hiring.
— MU Sports Information —