Conner David Henry (born July 21, 1963) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Charlotte 49ers men's basketball team. He played collegiately for the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos, and was selected by the Houston Rockets, with the 89th overall pick of the 1986 NBA draft. Henry had short stints with four National Basketball Association (NBA) teams, in two seasons, before he embarked on a career in the American minor leagues and overseas.
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Henry began his coaching career as an assistant at Claremont McKenna College. He then moved to Australia, where he joined the coaching staff of the Perth Wildcats of the NBL, where he became the team's head coach, for one season in 2008–09. Henry then returned to the United States, to join the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA D-League, as an assistant coach. Following two seasons with the D-Fenders, he was appointed as the head coach of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, in 2013, and was he named the NBA D-League Coach of the Year, after his first season. Henry also served as an assistant coach for the Orlando Magic of the NBA, in the 2015–16 season. He returned to Australia in 2020, when he was appointed the head coach of the Adelaide 36ers.
Professional career
Henry, who was a 6'7" (201 cm) tall, 195 lb (88 kg) shooting guard-small forward, was selected by the Houston Rockets, with the 19th pick of the fourth round, and 89th pick overall, of the 1986 NBA draft.[2] Throughout his short NBA career, which lasted from 1986 to 1988, he played with the Rockets, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Sacramento Kings.
Henry also played for the Rapid City Thrillers and the Yakima Sun Kings of the CBA. In 1990, he was voted to the All-CBA First Team, as well as the CBA All-Star Game MVP. Then in 1992, he again played in the CBA All-Star Game, which was held in the Pacific Northwest, of which he was named the Most Valuable Player once again. During the 1992 CBA All-Star Game, he hit four-of-seven three-pointers, which was the most made in such an event since 1970.[3] After his NBA career, Henry spent 10 years playing professionally in Italy, France, Spain and Greece, before returning to Montana, USA.[4]
After retiring from playing professional club basketball, Henry became an assistant basketball coach with the NCAA Division III's[2] Claremont McKenna College (where his father also worked as a college professor[5]) in his hometown of Claremont, California. He also served as associate director of the career services center, assisting students to gain employment.[4] He remained there for five years, until 2006, when he was hired as an assistant coach for the Perth Wildcats of the Australian National Basketball League, where he worked under the team's head coach and his former college teammate Scott Fisher.[2] After Fisher left the Wildcats, Henry became the team's head coach for the 2008–09 NBL season.[6] In 2010, Conner joined the reformed Sydney Kings of the NBL, as an assistant coach with Ian Robilliard.[7]
Henry later became an assistant coach for the Los Angeles D-Fenders of the NBA Development League.[8] In October 2013, he was named the head coach of the NBA D-League's Fort Wayne Mad Ants, for the 2013–14 season.[9] On April 17, 2014, he was named the winner of the 2014 Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year Award.[10] On June 10, 2015, he stepped down as the Mad Ants' head coach, and he was then named the Los Angeles D-Fenders head coach.[11] However, he gave up the position to become, on June 26, an assistant coach of the NBA's Orlando Magic.[12] Henry also worked as a scout for the Minnesota Timberwolves, during games at the Staples Center, from 2017 to 2019.[13]
On April 22, 2020, Henry signed a three-year deal to become the head coach of the Adelaide 36ers of the NBL.[14] On August 26, 2021, the 36ers released Henry from his contract.[15]
In July 2023, Henry joined the Charlotte 49ers men's basketball team as an assistant coach.[16]
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