Georgia names Katie Abrahamson-Henderson next women's head basketball coach
Georgia names Katie Abrahamson-Henderson next women's head basketball coach
Georgia has named Katie Abrahamson-Henderson its new head women’s basketball coach.
She has been the head coach at Central Florida for the past six years, recording a 131-49 overall record.
"This is a dream come true,” Abrahamson-Henderson said in a statement. “I am thrilled to return to Georgia as the head coach at one of the premier women's basketball programs in the country. I want to thank president Jere W. Morehead, athletics director Josh Brooks and senior deputy athletics director Darrice Griffin for the trust they have placed in me. I also want to thank Andy Landers and Joni Taylor for the foundation of success they have laid as we continue to build on that great tradition.”
Abrahamson-Henderson, who started out her playing career as a Lady Bulldog, started her coaching career at Missouri State in 2002. In five seasons, she led the Lady Bears to three NCAA tournament appearances and a WNIT championship.
In 2011, she became the head coach at Albany and had a lot of success. Abrahamson-Henderson racked up a 144-46 record in six seasons. She took over as the Lady Golden Knights’ head coach in 2016.
Abrahamson-Henderson never had a losing season while at UCF and led the program to three NCAA tournament appearances. Now, she hopes to continue the success that Taylor had at UGA.
"What we did at UCF was the most historic season in school history,” Abrahamson-Henderson. “Winning the regular season and conference tournament titles, earning a No. 7 seed in the NCAA tournament -- the highest in program history -- and winning in the first round of the NCAA to reach the round of 32. It is not easy to leave a place like UCF, and I want all our administrators, players, alumni, fans and supporters to know you will always hold a special place in our hearts. When I signed a national letter of intent with Coach Landers in 1985, this program was in the middle of a remarkable and unprecedented run of competing for SEC and national championships.”
As a player, she was a Parade Magazine and USA Today High School All-American. After playing two seasons for Landers at UGA, she transferred to Iowa to finish out her collegiate career. Abrahamson-Henderson was a two-time Big Ten champion with the Lady Hawkeyes.
As a freshman at Georgia, she helped the Lady Bulldogs capture the 1986 SEC championship. Abrahamson-Henderson played in 64 total games with 34 starts during her two seasons in Athens. She totaled 443 points and 253 rebounds in two seasons as a Lady Bulldog.