Lou Henson, the winningest coach in Illinois basketball history, died Saturday, the university confirmed. He was 88.
Henson coached 41 years at three programs, retiring from New Mexico State in 2005.
At Illinois, he was known for sporting a bright orange suit jacket and bringing the Illini to national prominence during a 21-year tenure.
Henson guided Illinois to the NCAA Tournament 12 times and amassed a 423-224 record from 1975-96. The peak came in 1989, when the Flyin' Illini advanced to the Final Four in a 31-win season.
Henson had 11 20-win seasons, winning the 1984 Big Ten championship and earning a top-five seed in the NCAA Tournament in consecutive years from 1984-1990. His 423 Big Ten victories rank fifth all time.
With a career record of 779-419, he ranks 23rd on the NCAA career wins list.
He's one of just 14 coaches to lead two teams to the Final Four, including the Aggies in 1970. Henson also is the only coach other than John Wooden to have two courts named after him _ at Illinois and New Mexico State.
Henson and his wife, Mary, were seen through the years supporting the Illini at sporting events and making appearances at functions. He was diagnosed in 2003 with non-Hodgkin lymphoma and had setbacks and chemotherapy treatments throughout the years.
He came to Champaign in 1975 after successful head coaching stints at Hardin-Simmons and New Mexico State universities.
Henson, who was born in Oklahoma, was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
He was buried Wednesday in a private ceremony in Champaign, according to the Champaign News-Gazette.
