After 10 seasons at the helm, Tennessee Tech's Mike Hennigan has announced his decision to step down as Golden Eagle head football coach.

Mike Hennigan

Hennigan, 54, cited personal reasons for his decision after a total of 20 seasons on the TTU coaching staff. Following the 2005 season, Hennigan was in the process of considering a three-year contract extension that was to run through the 2009 season.

"I have some concerns for my health," Hennigan says, "and I don't feel like I can get through the hours required and the physical drain from camp and the season."

"Mike Hennigan is a coach with great integrity and character and has represented Tennessee Tech in a first-class manner," says Athletic Director Mark Wilson. "His decision to step down comes as a surprise to all of us. We certainly wish Mike and his family all the very best."

In the meantime, the process to fill the head coach position is well underway.

"We are going through the process to determine exactly what direction we are going to take to ensure the success of our student-athletes and the commitment to our football program in the short term and in the long term," says Wilson.

In addition to serving as head football coach, Hennigan handled double duty for two years when he took on the role of athletic director in 2003 and 2004. During that stretch, he led Athletics through mandated budget cuts.

Hennigan coaches Tech against the Murray State Racers.

An honorable mention linebacker for the Golden Eagles, Hennigan is a 1973 graduate of TTU who returned to his alma mater in 1986. Before taking over the head coaching position, Hennigan served as Tech's defensive coordinator from 1986 through 1995. He became the school's ninth head football coach Dec. 11, 1995.

Hennigan's first Golden Eagle team posted a 6-5 record in 1997, the school's first winning campaign in four years.

His best season came in 2000 when the Golden Eagles went 8-3 and earned a Division I-AA Top 25 ranking. His team went 7-3 the following year and returned to the Top 25. Following a 4-7 mark in the injury-plagued 2005 season he has posted a 52-57 overall career record as head coach.

Hennigan began his collegiate playing career at Parsons (Iowa) College, but came to Tech when Parsons dropped football after the 1970 season. He was an all-conference selection for Tech's 1972 OVC championship team and spent two seasons in a Golden Eagle uniform.

Hennigan was named honorable mention all-America as a senior when he made 110 tackles. He helped Tech post a 10-1 regular-season record and earn a spot in the Grantland Rice Bowl. The 6-2, 205-pounder was also selected to play in the All-American Bowl in Tampa, Fla.

After earning a degree in health and physical education and being selected as the third pick of the fourth round of the NFL draft, he went on to spend seven years in the National Football League with the Detroit Lions and New York Jets.

A knee injury and surgery forced him to the NFL sidelines where he stepped into the start of a coaching career.

Hennigan coached spring football under head coach Don Wade at Tech in 1980 before spending the 1980 and 1981 seasons as linebacker coach at East Tennessee State. He then went to Western Carolina for the 1982 and 1983 seasons as defensive coordinator, helping the Catamounts reach the finals of the I-AA playoffs in 1983. Tech downed Hennigan's WCU squad (17-10) in 1982 but the Catamounts rolled to a 42-10 win in 1983.

In 1984, he was in charge of inside linebackers at Memphis State, and in 1985, coached defensive ends at Temple University.

He was invited back to Tech in 1986 as defensive coordinator following the hiring of Jim Ragland as head coach and was elected to the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame that same year.