Dr. Eugene Henderson III joins the Rockets as the Senior Associate Athletic Director For Student-Athlete Experience after serving for 15 years at Vanderbilt University.
Dr. Eugene Henderson III Named Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Experience
2/20/2024 9:16:00 AM | Athletics
Henderson joining Rockets after serving for 15 years at Vanderbilt
TOLEDO, Ohio – University of Toledo Vice President and Director of Athletics Bryan B. Blair today announced the hiring of Dr. Eugene Henderson as the Senior Associate Athletic Director For Student-Athlete Experience.Â
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Henderson previously served at Vanderbilt University for the past 15 years in the Ingram Center for Student-Athlete Success, most recently in the role as Assistant Athletic Director For Student Services. Henderson worked with a team that supported student-athletes that achieved a 97% Graduate Success Rate (GSR), the highest in the Southeastern Conference for the seventh consecutive year.
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In his role at Toledo, Henderson will lead the Athletic Department's Student-Athlete Support Services office (SAAS), which provides student-athletes with a variety of services to assist with and promote their academic progress, personal development and community engagement.
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 "We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Henderson, his wife, Dr. Tassany Henderson and their children to Team Toledo," said Blair. "Dr. Henderson is a seasoned athletic administrator with experience at the highest levels of Division I athletics and higher education. His passion for developing student-athletes and his care for people was apparent throughout our search process.
"Our strategic plan, Rise Together, places an emphasis on student-athlete success, including graduation and post-graduate placement. Dr. Henderson and our entire Student-Athlete Support Services Office will play an out-sized role in achieving that vision."
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"I want to thank Bryan Blair and the amazing University of Toledo family for this opportunity," said Henderson. "I am excited to work with the student-athletes and staff. Toledo Athletics has set the bar high with excellence academically and athletically. The sky is the limit to where we will grow. Go Rockets!"
Henderson began his career at Vanderbilt with a brief stint as a sales associate in the ticket office before assuming a position as a senior academic counselor in 2009. He was promoted to assistant director of academic support in 2015, then named associate director of academic support in 2017 before assuming his most recent position as assistant athletic director for student services in August of 2018.
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In addition to impressive graduation rates, Commodore student-athletes also earned a combined grade-point average of 3.37 in the 2023 fall semester, the highest fall GPA in school history, with all 16 sports attaining a GPA above a 3.1 and 11 teams attaining at least a 3.4 GPA. A total of 41 student-athletes earned perfect 4.0 GPAs, 171 made the Dean's List and 331 (84 percent) had GPAs above a 3.0. It was the 28th consecutive semester that Vanderbilt student-athletes earned above a 3.0 GPA.
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Henderson, a native of Chattanooga, Tenn., earned his bachelor's degree in exercise science from Middle Tennessee State University in 2006 and his master's degree in sports management from Middle Tennessee in 2009. He was awarded his Doctor of Education (Ed.D) from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville in 2022.
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He and his wife, Dr. Tassany Henderson, have three children, daughters Olivia and Paige, and son Eugene Henderson IV.
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Dr. Eugene Henderson III File
Professional Experience - Vanderbilt University
Bachelor of Science '06, Exercise Science, Middle Tennessee State University
Master of Science '09, Sports Management, Middle Tennessee State University
Doctor of Education, '22, Leadership and Professional Practice, Trevecca Nazarene University
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What they are saying about Eugene Henderson
"We are very excited to have Dr. Eugene Henderson join the University of Toledo family. He has had a tremendous record of success at Vanderbilt, and I am confident that our student-athletes will benefit from the knowledge and enthusiasm he will bring to our Athletic Department."
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Henderson previously served at Vanderbilt University for the past 15 years in the Ingram Center for Student-Athlete Success, most recently in the role as Assistant Athletic Director For Student Services. Henderson worked with a team that supported student-athletes that achieved a 97% Graduate Success Rate (GSR), the highest in the Southeastern Conference for the seventh consecutive year.
Â
In his role at Toledo, Henderson will lead the Athletic Department's Student-Athlete Support Services office (SAAS), which provides student-athletes with a variety of services to assist with and promote their academic progress, personal development and community engagement.
Â
 "We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Henderson, his wife, Dr. Tassany Henderson and their children to Team Toledo," said Blair. "Dr. Henderson is a seasoned athletic administrator with experience at the highest levels of Division I athletics and higher education. His passion for developing student-athletes and his care for people was apparent throughout our search process.
"Our strategic plan, Rise Together, places an emphasis on student-athlete success, including graduation and post-graduate placement. Dr. Henderson and our entire Student-Athlete Support Services Office will play an out-sized role in achieving that vision."
Â
"I want to thank Bryan Blair and the amazing University of Toledo family for this opportunity," said Henderson. "I am excited to work with the student-athletes and staff. Toledo Athletics has set the bar high with excellence academically and athletically. The sky is the limit to where we will grow. Go Rockets!"
Henderson began his career at Vanderbilt with a brief stint as a sales associate in the ticket office before assuming a position as a senior academic counselor in 2009. He was promoted to assistant director of academic support in 2015, then named associate director of academic support in 2017 before assuming his most recent position as assistant athletic director for student services in August of 2018.
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In addition to impressive graduation rates, Commodore student-athletes also earned a combined grade-point average of 3.37 in the 2023 fall semester, the highest fall GPA in school history, with all 16 sports attaining a GPA above a 3.1 and 11 teams attaining at least a 3.4 GPA. A total of 41 student-athletes earned perfect 4.0 GPAs, 171 made the Dean's List and 331 (84 percent) had GPAs above a 3.0. It was the 28th consecutive semester that Vanderbilt student-athletes earned above a 3.0 GPA.
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Henderson, a native of Chattanooga, Tenn., earned his bachelor's degree in exercise science from Middle Tennessee State University in 2006 and his master's degree in sports management from Middle Tennessee in 2009. He was awarded his Doctor of Education (Ed.D) from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville in 2022.
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He and his wife, Dr. Tassany Henderson, have three children, daughters Olivia and Paige, and son Eugene Henderson IV.
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Dr. Eugene Henderson III File
Professional Experience - Vanderbilt University
- Assistant Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Success (Nov. 2022 -Feb. 2024)
- Assistant Athletic Director (Aug. 2020-Nov. 2022)
- Associate Director of Academic Support (Dec. 2017-Aug. 2020)
- Assistant Director of Academic Support (June 2015-Dec. 2017)
- Senior Academic Counselor (Nov. 2009-June 2015)
Bachelor of Science '06, Exercise Science, Middle Tennessee State University
Master of Science '09, Sports Management, Middle Tennessee State University
Doctor of Education, '22, Leadership and Professional Practice, Trevecca Nazarene University
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What they are saying about Eugene Henderson
"We are very excited to have Dr. Eugene Henderson join the University of Toledo family. He has had a tremendous record of success at Vanderbilt, and I am confident that our student-athletes will benefit from the knowledge and enthusiasm he will bring to our Athletic Department."
- Kim Nigem, professor in the University of Toledo John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation and faculty athletics representative
- Candice Storey Lee, vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director, Â Vanderbilt University
- Clark Lea, head football coach, Vanderbilt University
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