Henson happy to stay in Rome, faces new challenges
He is the new Rome High wrestling coach after spending eight years leading Shorter’s program.
He is the new Rome wrestling coach after eight years at Shorter.
With just one day before classes began, new Rome High wrestling coach Josh Henson spent Thursday cooped up in his new office. Serving as faculty is a bit of a new experience for him, and he’s hoping to be as settled as possible.
One thing Henson won’t be worried about is his other responsibility with wrestling season coming up in November. The former Shorter University coach may be at a new school and in a new environment, but he’s still teaching wrestling in Rome, and that’s what matters to him.
“You know, wrestling is wrestling. The stuff guys are successful with at the high school level is the same as the college level and same as the world level,” Henson said. “It’s the fundamentals, the determination and the drive. For us, it’s just about taking the next step.”
Henson was approved as Rome’s new wrestling coach earlier this month, less than four months after Shorter discontinued its wrestling program. But Henson said he is ready for his first job in high school and to establish his way of thinking in the Rome program.
“It’s always tough when a program is discontinued, because in some ways it made it easier to make a transition,” Henson said. “It was a clean break. That was the part that was easiest, there was no option to stay, just made it easier to move forward.”
Henson was the only head wrestling coach at Shorter for all eight years of the program’s existence. He coached five AllAmericans and 40 national qualifiers, even as Shorter transitioned from NAIA to NCAA. Before coming to Rome he was an All-American at Penn and served as an assistant coach after graduation.
The one thing he’s learned from all his years in the sport is establishing a core unit, something Rome desperately needs. While he admits the team and the school have plenty of athletes, the biggest issue is forming a full roster.
“First thing we have to do is field a full team. Participation brings energy, and it makes everything easier,” Henson said. “So if you’re going to fund raise, if you’re going to market the program, if you’re going to have home events, (those are) all the things you need for participation.”
As he gets a much needed break from his time in his office on Thursday, Henson admits the last few weeks have been a whirlwind. But it is a situation he’s ecstatic to be in, and he’s ready to change Rome’s program for the better.
“I think there is a potential to do something special here,” Henson said. “And at the same time, my wife and I can stay in the community that we love.”