MUSCATINE, Iowa–Since his teenage years, sports have played a huge role in Mike Henson’s life. After going out for football, basketball, track and field, and baseball in high school, Henson found it natural to start coaching in about 1989, after he graduated from college and started his teaching career. Following successful stints coaching football, basketball, and baseball, Henson felt ready to step into the role of athletic director. After five years as the athletic director of Osage High School, Henson has come to Muscatine High School to serve as their activities and athletic director.
In his first five years of serving as an athletic director, Henson found he loved the work he did. “There’s a lot of great things about it, working with coaches, helping develop them, and still getting to be around athletes and helping mold them.”
Henson grew up in DeWitt and spent many years in the Quad Cities Area. When he started looking for schools to continue his career as an athletic director at, he wanted to find one close to home and considered Muscatine a good fit. He observed, “Muscatine has a great reputation, both academically and athletically.”
As Henson takes on his new role as athletic and activities director at Muscatine High School he knows he has big shoes to fill. “There’s been a lot of great quality athletic directors–replacing Tom will be tough,” he stated.
However, by getting to know all of the coaches and advisors involved in Muscatine High School’s athletics department and in its various activities, he hopes to, “provide a level of excellence this community is used and, “continue to strive and make improvements throughout the program.”
Henson would like to continue the progress Muscatine High School has made on updating the facilities they have available for sporting events and large group activities, as well, ensuring Muscatine students have the best spaces and equipment possible. “The facilities are great here, but I’m looking for ways to keep improving them.”
As someone who enjoys working with young people, Henson welcomes the chance to get to know the students involved in Muscatine High School’s different sports and clubs so he can start, “figuring out how to set them up for success,” too.
Though Henson jokes that his, “hobbies are athletics,” he genuinely looks forward to exploring Muscatine with his wife, discovering all its amenities, and introducing them to his three adult children (two of whom live in Waterloo and one of whom will soon start her second year at Saint Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota). Still an athlete himself, Henson would like to check out Muscatine’s opportunities to golf and possibly play other sports as well.
While Henson’s first year in Muscatine had already gotten off to a busy start, with Henson both settling up at Muscatine High School and traveling back and forth to support the girls softball team in the state tournament, he truly looks forward to everything that will come his way. “I’m excited to be here,” he said with a smile.
