How Clay Hendrix changed Furman football into a winner and national title contender
Seven years ago, when it came time to hire a football coach to restore Furman’s program to national prominence, Clay Hendrix seemed a logical conclusion.
Furman has played for three national championships and it’s no coincidence that Hendrix played a major role in all three, be it as a player or an assistant coach.
“I do take pride in it,” Hendrix said. “I take more pride than some people because I played here and spent so much time here.”
Four years as a player and 19 years as an assistant, to be exact.
In both capacities, Hendrix was known as a guy who simply “hung in there.” He worked diligently to maximize his own talents and built a reputation as a guy who turned average players into good players and good players into great players.
Hendrix, in his seventh season as Furman’s coach, will get his next opportunity to display that knack when the Paladins (9-2) play host to SoCon rival Chattanooga (8-4) in an FCS second-round playoff game Saturday (1 p.m., ESPN+) at Paladin Stadium.
Hendrix has coached elsewhere. He followed Dick Sheridan to NC State as a graduate assistant for two seasons in the late 1980s, returned to Furman to help the Paladins to their only national title in 1988, then left Furman again in 2007 to spend 10 successful seasons as an assistant at Air Force.
“The Academy thing always kind of appealed to me,” Hendrix said. “I knew it would be a similar kid to ones I’d coached (at Furman) and I enjoyed that part – how similar the institutions are, the academic priorities, the character of the kids, all those things.
“It was a good fit for me. I learned a lot and it helped prepare me for a chance to come back.”
What made Furman successful under Clay Hendrix
While Hendrix was away, the Paladins mired in mediocrity for the most part, posting four losing seasons, sharing just one SoCon title and rendering the once-proud program an also-ran in the conference and a mere afterthought among FCS playoff programs.
“They were throwing the ball around a lot at that time here,” Hendrix said. “They were having pretty good passing numbers, but the won-loss record wasn’t great.”
Consider order restored.
Hendrix took over the Furman program prior to the 2017 season and has guided the Paladins to four FCS playoff berths and two SoCon titles in seven years. His record is 50-28 – the third-best winning percentage (.641) in program history, trailing only Sheridan and Jimmy Satterfield.
Furman still throws the ball around, but the offense is more balanced. This year’s team has rushed for 1,975 yards and passed for 1,867.
Defense is once again the Paladins’ bread and butter, which harkens back to Furman’s glory days. This year’s team leads the SoCon in 11 defensive categories and ranks first nationally in turnover margin and third in rushing defense and sacks.
“I brought back stuff we’d done here forever,” Hendrix said. “When I came back I felt like first of all let’s give ourselves a chance to compete.”
'We’re a small, hard-to-get-into place'
Mission accomplished. Hendrix’s first Furman team went 8-5 and with the exception of a schedule-impacted COVID-19 season in 2020, the Paladins haven’t had a losing season since. Last year’s team finished 10-3, the program’s first 10-win season since 2005.
Hendrix’s mission is simple yet daunting: Recruit the best players possible who are able to pass Furman’s stringent admission standards and willing to tackle challenging curriculums.
“We’re a small, hard-to-get-into place,” said Hendrix, alluding to Furman’s enrollment of roughly 2,500 students. “It’s so much about getting the right people here – kids that are fits. First of all, he may not even get into school, and if he does, can he stay here? How is he going to handle the challenge?”
Hendrix credits his assistant coaches for buying into his and the school’s philosophy. Recruiting is key, and the addition of new graduate degree programs has helped attract several significant players, including quarterback and SoCon Offensive Player of the Year Tyler Huff and All-SoCon tight end Mason Pline.
Retention also has been impressive, Hendrix said. The Paladins had the NCAA limit of 110 players at the outset of preseason camp, but have added 19 more who joined at the beginning of the fall semester as well as two walk-ons.
All remain with the team, which isn’t surprising considering Furman has been ranked as high as No. 2 this season and is the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. Everyone wants to play for a winner, right?
TALENTED QUINTET: 5 Furman football players to watch as the Paladins begin pursuit of the FCS championship
A win Saturday sends Furman to the quarterfinals on Dec. 9 against the winner between No. 2 seed Montana and Delaware.
“Our goal was to get back and try to be a top 10 team every year,” Hendrix said. “And I think we’ve got a team this year that can compete with anybody.
“Our kids play well together. We’re a tough out, even when we’re not at our best just because our kids usually hang in there.”
Like coach, like team.
Scott Keepfer covers sports for The Greenville News and the USA TODAY Network. Email him at skeepfer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @ScottKeepfer
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Clay Hendrix has restored Furman football to national prominence
