Pat Henry retires as Texas A&M track and field coach after 54 years, 22 seasons in Aggieland

COLLEGE STATION, Texas (KRHD) — Pat Henry, the most decorated head coach in NCAA track and field history, announced his retirement Wednesday after 54 years of coaching and 22 seasons at Texas A&M.

Henry arrived in College Station in the fall of 2004, bringing a championship-winning culture to the Aggies. During his tenure, he secured 10 NCAA team championships, including his most recent crown in 2025. The men claimed six titles — five outdoors and one indoor — while the women captured four outdoor titles.

Henry's 10 championships at Texas A&M, paired with the 27 he accumulated at LSU, made him the first coach in NCAA history with double-digit national titles at two separate schools in any sport.

"It's very difficult to talk about 54 years of coaching, but I can talk about the best 22 years," Henry said. "I have been truly blessed to be the coach here at Texas A&M. Our 10 National Championships and 19 final four finishes are a big part of my 22 years, but being a part of Texas A&M has made it the best years of my career. This is a special place with many wonderful people. Our athletes are provided with the best facilities, academic and medical support. The success of our program is about our ability as a staff to recruit great talent. But great talent is never happy unless they get better. The ability to help an athlete get better is about having a great staff, a staff dedicated to being the best. I have had great assistants who work hard and smart. We have been cohesive in our message."

Henry also credited his family, particularly his wife Gail, for making his career possible.

"Last and most importantly, I have had a family who has supported me the entire time. My wife has been my best assistant. Gail has been with me my entire career. Without her continued support and understanding I would never have been able to be involved with the sport this long. I also want to thank Trev [Alberts] and his staff for their help, care and support of our program. Trev is a coach's athletics director. We are very fortunate to have him as the leader of our department," Henry said.

On the conference level, Henry guided Texas A&M to 14 Big 12 team titles and four SEC crowns. He won his most recent conference title in the program's debut hosting the SEC Championships at the R.A. Murray Fasken '38 Indoor Track, capturing the men's title for the first time in program history.

Henry's athletes were among the most decorated in NCAA history during his tenure. His athletes won 74 individual national titles — 39 from the women and 35 from the men. At the conference level, his athletes claimed 235 gold medals, with the men accounting for 121 and the women 114.

Director of Athletics Trev Alberts praised Henry's impact on the sport.

"We want to congratulate Coach Henry on a legendary career," Alberts said. "His impact on collegiate track & field spans well beyond just Texas A&M. He brought hundreds of conference and national titles to Aggieland, while developing some of the top athletes in the world. His success on both the national and international stages have cemented his historic legacy. Coach Henry has transformed the sport through his dedication, leadership and standard of excellence, and he has elevated the Texas A&M track & field program to one of the nation's best."