BURLINGTON — As Iowa State’s head coach T.J. Otzelberger gets ready for his third-straight NCAA Tournament, the Milwaukee native is yet again finding himself tied to another Wisconsin storyline.
From coaching in Fiserv two years ago to meeting the Badgers in last year’s dance, Thursday night he’ll not only be matching up against his former team in South Dakota State, but also a longtime colleague that also shares the same coaching stop at Burlington Catholic Central High School.
"You certainly didn't see [T.J. Otzelberger] becoming the head coach at Iowa State, but you knew that he was destined for bigger things," Steve Smith, Catholic Central's current head coach, said.
Fresh off his playing career at UW-Whitewater, the Milwaukee native got his first dose of coaching at Catholic Central High School from 2001-04.
Otzelberger spent his first two season coaching junior varsity.
He then went on to Iowa State to work as an assistant, which is where he first met Eric Henderson who was a graduate student at the time.
“My schooling was up, and it was kind of time to do something else to be honest with you," Henderson shared. "TJ just basically said, "Hey, Hendo, I got this little school close to the City of Milwaukee that I think is an awesome spot and it be a great spot for you."
Henderson coached at Catholic Central from 2009-14, while also serving stints as the Hilltoppers' principal and athletic director.
“He was just starting a family," Chad Novasic, a former assistant coach to both Henderson and Otzelberger, shared. "He saids, "I don't want to be on the road all the time with a young family." And that's where TJ said, "This might be a good fit for you because you can start your family and still do the things you love."
Henderson coached the Hilltoppers to two regional championships in 2007 and 2008, while also welcoming his second son Kort.
“My wife and I are actually godparents to Eric and Alicia's second son Court," Steve Smith shared.
“We just really enjoyed our time there and the people that we were able to make connections with that we still have connections with," Henderson said about his family's time in Burlington.
Although, the plan for Henderson was to once again share a bench with Otzelberger.
The two reunited at South Dakota Date in 2016 when Otzelberger was named the Jackrabbits' next head coach. Henderson was hired as one of his assistant coaches.
Otzelberger left South Dakota State in 2019 to lead UNLV's program for two seasons before taking over as Iowa State's head coach in 2021.
Henderson was elevated to SDSU's next head coach after Otzelberger's departure and is in his fifth season with the Jackrabbits.
As fate would have it, the two former colleagues are set to meet in the first-round of March Madness on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Got a matchup with the Cyclones!#MarchMadness x #GoJacks 🐰 pic.twitter.com/GFi0rQJ23C
— Jackrabbit Men’s Basketball (@GoJacksMBB) March 17, 2024
“You know, I want T.J. to win a national championship," Henderson chuckled. "I think his team is that good, but now I want him to lose in the first round.”
While only one team will survive in Thursday night's game, both Otzelberger and Henderson's legacy will live on at Catholic Central.
“There's been basketball here for 92 years, and you certainly can't write the story of Catholic Central Basketball without having Eric and T.J. mentioned as part of that," Smith smiled.
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