Earned four letters in football at Catawba (1985-88); tied the school mark with 20 interceptions and set a record with 398 total tackles. Spent two years in the Arena Football League with the Albany Firebirds (1990) and Charlotte Rage (1991).
Coaching History
2011 (1st season)
Special Teams Coordinator, Wake Forest
2001-Current (11th season)
Assistant Coach, Wake Forest
1995-2000 (6 seasons)
Assistant Coach, Ohio University
1997-2000 (4 seasons)
Assistant Coach, Ohio University
1992-94 (3 seasons)
Assistant Coach, North Carolina A&T
1991 (1 season)
Assistant Coach, Charleston Southern University
1990 (1 season)
Graduate Assistant, Gardner-Webb University
1989 (1 season)
Assistant Coach, Bandys (N.C.) High School
North Carolina native Keith Henry is entering his 11th season as a Demon Deacon assistant coach.
Henry will serve as the team's special teams coordinator this season after working with the secondary in 2010. In 2001, his first year on staff, Henry was responsible for outside linebackers and then switched to the secondary for the 2002 and 2003 seasons. He then worked with the defensive ends for the next six seasons.
In 2009, Henry managed a group of defensive ends that overcame a number of injuries to become a productive part of the defense. The defensive ends combined for eight sacks as a unit.
In 2008, Henry's defensive ends contributed seven sacks during the season. Redshirt freshman Kyle Wilber was seventh on the team with 42 tackles and contributed three sacks on the year. Senior Matt Robinson set career-highs in tackles and sack yardage during the campaign and was second on the club in tackles for loss.
Henry was instrumental in shaping Robinson's career. Following the 2007 season, Robinson received the ACC's Brian Piccolo Award. Robinson overcame numerous knee and ankle injuries to become a stalwart along the Deacon defensive front.
During the 2007 campaign, Henry aided in the development of senior defensive end Jeremy Thompson. Thompson finished his career with 20.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks. He was the first Deacon taken in the 2008 NFL Draft, selected by the Green Bay Packers with the third pick of the fourth round.
Two of Henry's 2006 seniors, Bryan Andrews (Cincinnati Bengals) and Jyles Tucker (San Diego Chargers) signed NFL contracts following the FedEx Orange Bowl. Tucker earned an AFC Defensive Player of the Week award with the Chargers in 2007 and became a starter in 2008.
In 2006, Henry had a blend of young and veteran talent that combined for 19.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks. Henry's group was a key reason that Wake Forest allowed just 105.8 rushing yards per game, the third-best mark in Wake Forest history.
Henry served as Wake Forest's cornerbacks coach in 2002 and 2003. In 2002, starting cornerbacks Eric King and Daryl Shaw were responsible for 10 of the Deacons' 33 takeaways, including three interceptions apiece. In 2003, King earned first-team All-ACC honors and was voted WFU's team MVP. He is currently with the Detroit Lions.
Prior to coming to WFU, Henry spent six seasons working with Jim Grobe at Ohio University, where he served as outside linebackers coach for four seasons (1997-2000) and receivers coach for two years (1995-96). During his stint in Athens, he guided several Bobcat players to postseason honors, as linebacker Matt Weikert earned second team All-MAC recognition in 2000. In 1998, Rahim Slaise was a first-team All-MAC selection and Leigh Barbour earned second-team honors.
Prior to Ohio, Henry worked for three years at nearby North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, coaching linebackers, receivers and defensive backs for the Aggies in addition to serving as head coach of the baseball squad. In his second year as baseball coach, North Carolina A&T won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament, and Henry was named the league's Coach of the Year.
Henry spent the 1991 season as the defensive backs coach at Charleston Southern University, after serving as a graduate assistant for one and a half years at Gardner-Webb in Boiling Springs, N.C. He entered the coaching ranks on the high school level, coaching the defensive backs at Bandys (NC) High School in 1989.
Henry played professionally for two seasons in the Arena League, with the Albany Firebirds during the 1990 season and the Charlotte Rage in 1991.
Henry was a three-time All-America safety at Catawba, making four appearances on the All-South Atlantic Conference first team. He tied the school record with 20 interceptions and set a Catawba mark with 398 total tackles.
In April of 2000, Catawba inducted Henry into its Football Hall of Fame. In March, 2001, he was elected into the South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame.
Henry graduated from Catawba in 1989 with a bachelor's degree in physical education and a minor in sociology. He earned a master's degree in physical education administration from North Carolina A&T in 1995.
Henry and his wife, Nicole, have four children --Kirstie, K.J., Maya Ordee and Isaiah. Nicole is the founder and president of the Winston-Salem based sitting company Salem Sitters, Inc.
