Teresa Lawrence Phillips & John Henderson Announced As 2023 Tennessee Sports Hall Of Fame Inductees

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Teresa Lawrence Phillips and John Henderson.

Former Vanderbilt women’s basketball player, Fisk Basketball Coach and TSU Athletics Director Teresa Lawrence Phillips and former Tennessee Volunteers Defensive Tackle and Nashville Native John Henderson have been named to the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2023.

Phillips was told of the news Wednesday during a Title IX discussion on the Belmont University campus.

“Teresa Lawrence Phillips made positive change for sports during every level of her career. From a player, to a coach, to an athletics director, she worked tirelessly to make sports better in every way,” says Brad Willis, Executive Director of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame. “We’re very excited to have Teresa Lawrence Phillips as part of our 2023 Class of the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.”

Phillips was born in Lookout Mountain, Tennessee, and attended Girls Preparatory School in Chattanooga. She was the second African American student to attend GPS, and the first Black player on the basketball team. After her graduation in 1976, Phillips attended Vanderbilt University on an academic scholarship and was asked to join the university’s first women’s basketball team in 1978. As a senior in 1980, Phillips was awarded the first-ever women’s Athlete of the Year Award. After her graduation, Phillips joined Vanderbilt basketball coach Joe Pepper’s staff as an assistant coach. During that time, the team would become a legitimate contender in the SEC, playing in their first AIAW tournament in 1982 and winning the Women’s NIT Tournament in 1984.

At the age of 26, Phillips was hired as the Head Coach of the Fisk University Lady Bulldogs basketball team. Under her leadership, Fisk tallied a 62-38 record and won two conference titles. Phillips was named WIAC Coach of the Year in 1987 and 1988. In 1989, Phillips became Head Basketball Coach at Tennessee State University (TSU). From 1989-2000 she led the Tigers to their first OVC regular season and tournament championships and their first NCAA Tournament appearance. Phillips moved from coaching to administration in 2002, becoming the Athletic Director at TSU, a position she would hold until her retirement in 2020. In 2003, Phillips made history as the first woman to coach an NCAA men’s basketball team, serving as an interim coach for a game against Austin Peay.

Phillips was inducted into the Vanderbilt Athletics Hall of Fame in 2017 and the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) Athletic Hall of Fame in 2021.

Henderson was told of the news of his induction during a radio interview on 104.5 The Zone in Nashville with former Volunteers Ramon Foster and Ron Slay. The Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame pays homage to the state’s rich sports history and their impact within the community.

“John Henderson was a dominant football player at every level of competition. From Pearl Cohn, to Tennessee, to the NFL, John was a force to be reckoned with along the defensive line,” says Willis. “John’s accomplishments throughout his career make him an ideal candidate for the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.”

Henderson was born in Nashville and attended Pearl-Cohn Comprehensive High School, where he played defensive tackle and tight end for the Pearl-Cohn Firebirds. Henderson was part of back-to-back state championship teams in his junior and senior seasons. Henderson played defensive tackle at the University of Tennessee from 1998-2001. During that time, he was a two-time All-American, two-time All-SEC and the Outland Trophy winner in 2000 for the Nation’s top interior lineman. Henderson was selected with the 9th overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars and went on to spend 10 seasons in the NFL. He was named a Pro Bowler in 2004 and 2006 and All-Pro in 2006.

Henderson and Phillips join former Titans linebacker Keith Bulluck, former Memphis Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph, former Nashville Predators Captain Mike Fisher, Memphis Football linebacker Tim Harris, MTSU baseball legend Steve Smith, golfer Loren Roberts, Bristol Motor Speedway Co-Founder Carl R. Moore, ETSU Basketball Coach and Athletics Director Les Robinson, and Lady Vol Track star and Olympic Gold Medalist Tianna Madison as 2023 Inductees. The full 2023 Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame Induction Class will be released over the coming weeks.

The induction ceremony, presented by the Tennessee Titans, will be held Saturday, July 22 at the Omni Nashville Downtown. Ticket information will be announced at a later date.

Steven Boero
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