University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Get to Know New Assistant Coach Keaton Henson
2/15/2016 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- Head coach Mohammed El-Zare announced the hiring of Keaton Henson as an assistant coach of the Southern Miss women's soccer team in February of 2016. Henson will worked primarily with the goalkeepers and help with the day-to-day operations of the team.
Henson comes to Southern Miss after spending the 2014 and 2015 seasons as a volunteer assistant coach at Stephen F. Austin. He helped lead the Ladyjacks to back-to-back winnings seasons.
In 2015, SFA finished the year 9-8-2, including an 8-1-2 record in Southland Conference play. The defense allowed just 21 goals, while making 98 saves as a team. As a team, SFA posted a 1.08 goals against average, led by starting goalie Lillie Ehlert, who had 84 saves and a 1.02 GAA.
Henson made an immediate impact upon his arrival in Nacogdoches, helping the Ladyjacks post a 16-3-1 overall record in 2014, including a perfect 11-0 mark in Southland Conference play en route to the program's fourth consecutive SLC regular season championship.
Serving primarily as a goalkeeper coach for the Ladyjacks, Henson helped coach one of the best keepers in the country in his first year on staff. Under his leadership, Morgan Glick ended her senior season ranked fifth in the nation in save percentage (.884) and 12th in goals against average (.569) while picking up First Team All-Southland Conference honors.
As a team, Henson saw his goalkeepers put up numbers comparable to the best in NCAA Division I. With then-freshman Ehlert joining Glick between the posts in 2014, the duo helped the Ladyjacks finish the year ranked sixth in the country in shutout percentage (.650), seventh in save percentage (.876) and 11th in goals against average (.588).
Henson was also involved in the Nacogdoches youth soccer community on several fronts. He was named the Technical Director of the Texans and Challenge-Pines divisions in the spring of 2014 and assisted with training sessions for the Nacogdoches Youth Soccer Association (NYSA).
Henson went to SFA, going directly from Sam Houston State where he served as a graduate assistant and recruiting coordinator. Henson helped direct the Bearkat defense in 2013, tying the most shutouts in program history with eight.
Henson spent the previous five years with the Challenge and Texans soccer clubs, working with youth soccer players of all ages in Houston and in College Station. In 2013, Henson was promoted to interim Director of Coaching for the Challenge-Aggieland division, where he oversaw player development and club operations for the College Station community.
An active member of the USYSA Region III Olympic Development Program-State Coach, Henson helps identify premier talent in South Texas. He holds a USSF "D" license, a USSF National Youth License, a NSCAA National Goalkeeper Diploma and a NSCAA National Diploma.
Henson earned his Bachelors of Science degree in leadership development from Texas A&M in 2013, where he also worked closely with the Aggie women's soccer program.
Q&A with Coach Henson...
What is your background in soccer?
Collegiately, I spent the last five years with different programs. I was with Texas A&M women's soccer team. I was fortunate enough to learn from some great mentors there, from some successful people who have been doing it for a very long time. From there, I went as a volunteer and then a graduate assistant at Sam Houston State. I was there for about a year and a half. From that point, I went to Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches, Texas to rejoin with a mentor of mine that I met at A&M. I was able to have two very successful seasons there, winning back-to-back Conference Championships. I was very fortunate to work with some great people and some great players and I am excited to see what I can do here at Southern Miss.
What drew you to Southern Miss?
I think the opportunity to work with a great coach. Coach Mo was not someone I had met previously to this interview process, however, working with others who had worked underneath him as an assistant coach or a former player, I have heard a lot of great things. For myself, it was important that I not just take a full-time assistant coach job for the sake of climbing the ladder, but to make sure that the step that I take is appropriate for my development. The opportunity to work with Mo was something that excited me. I am hoping to continue the growth of my coaching education under him.
What do bring to Southern Miss?
I think I bring a different perspective. Certainly one of a youthful perspective. I think what I can add is a different take and a different perspective and spin. A lot of what I do is specifically with the goalkeeping unit and the backline. I have more of a defensive minded approach. It is a program on the rise. A lot of that is perspective and what you consider a rise. I think redefining what success means to an individual and a program is something that I look forward to changing. Hopefully, something that will take and help us be successful moving forward.
What is your approach to coaching?
We are all here because we want to be successful. We are all here because we want to win games. We must remember that we are educators first and foremost. To be able to work with young athletes and share experiences that I've had with them to help them grow as an individual and a young independent woman is exciting in my profession. I hope to add and help them grow in whatever way they need to grow. As a team, ultimately achieving whatever goals they set. As coaches, we can always define benchmarks we want to achieve, but if it doesn't come from the players it is not very driven and thus is difficult to achieve. Helping them to define themselves and their dreams is something I look forward to.
