Danielle Henderson

After her playing career, Henderson served as a private pitching instructor and was an assistant coach with Ohio State and Stanford. She rejoined her alma mater UMass as associate head coach for the 2014 season and has been head coach at UMass Lowell since 2015.

On July 30, 2014, she was named head softball coach at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell.

Henderson closed her career at UMass with the best strikeouts, ERA, shutouts, wins and strikeout ratio numbers ever, of which she still owns the ERA and shutout crowns. She holds the same records for the Atlantic 10. Finally, in the NCAA Henderson is tied 6th in no-hitters (14) and 5th in perfect games (3) all-time for a career.

On October 9, 2009, Henderson was honored with an invitation into the UMass Hall of Fame.

Although she did not play, Henderson also won a NPF Cowles Cup Championship with the defunct New England Riptide on August 28, 2006.

Henderson began playing with the rejuvenated National Pro Fastpitch in 2004 with the now defunct Arizona Heat. She currently ranks top-10 in career strikeouts and wins. In 2005, Henderson made the All-NPF East Team.

In 2001, while serving a second term as Assistant Coach, the University of Massachusetts-Amherst ceremoniously retired Henderson's #44 jersey. In her last season with her the Minutewomen, Henderson was also inducted into the New England Women's Hall of Fame on September 24, 2002.

She competed at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney where she received a gold medal with the American team. Her only game was a 3–0 win over Cuba.

Henderson had two stints as an assistant coach at UMass, first from 2000 to 2003 then as associate head coach in 2014. In between these stints, Henderson worked as a private pitching instructor before returning to college softball as assistant coach at Ohio State from 2011 to 2012 and Stanford under John Rittman in 2013.

In her senior season of 1999, Henderson posted six no-hitters (another top-five tying NCAA season record), two perfect games and repeated all-season honors, including a First Team All-American highlight and her third straight Atlantic 10 Pitcher of The Year and pitching Triple Crown. Henderson won 30 games, struck out a then school and conference record 465 batters (which led the nation) and tied the best season ERA mark at UMass. She had a career best WHIP and her strikeout ratio of almost 14 set a new NCAA season mark that is now 6th all-time. Her 105 scoreless innings streak from March 16 − May 2, 1999 remains the NCAA record.

In May 1999, Henderson was awarded the Honda Sports Award as the best softball player in the country.

Henderson began playing for Team USA the summer after she graduated in 1999. On July 29, 1999, Henderson threw a perfect game defeating Colombia 9–0 at the start of the Pan American Games.

Throwing five no-hitters (NCAA top-5 season tying record and one perfect game vs. the Fordham Rams on March 29, 1998) earned her all-season honors from conference and the NCAA in her junior season of 1998, moving from third to the second Team. Henderson broke four school records with her wins, strikeouts, shutouts (still the record) and a strikeout ratio of nearly 12; along with her ERA, she won a second conference Triple Crown. In addition, she again cracked the top-10 NCAA Division I season records with her strikeouts (led the NCAA), shutouts and then second best all-time season strikeout ratio mark, which also led the NCAA that year.

In 1997 as a sophomore, Henderson would earn her first All-American and Atlantic 10 Pitcher of Year awards, as well as tossing two no-hitters and breaking the UMass season records for strikeouts, innings pitched and strikeout ratio. Her wins and shutouts were at the time both second best in school history. For the year, Henderson won her first pitching Triple Crown for the conference best in wins, strikeouts and ERA while ranked in the NCAA top-10 for both ERA and strikeout ratio.

On April 26, 1997, Henderson struck out a then school and a career best 18 Fordham Rams in regulation, this was tied third all-time for an NCAA single game and now is tied fourth overall. The day prior on April 25, Henderson also began a 63 scoreless inning streak that endured until May 17 for a then career best. UMass qualified for the 1997 Women's College World Series. However, Henderson was selected to the All-Tournament Team.

At the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Henderson was a pitcher for the UMass Minutewomen softball team from 1996 to 1999. In her freshman season of 1996, Henderson led the team in win-loss record at 23–8, ERA (0.96), shutouts (11), and strikeouts (113). Henderson threw her first no-hitter in the NCAA play-in opener against Marist.

Born in Huntington, New York, Henderson grew up in nearby Commack and graduated from Commack High School in 1995.

Danielle Henderson (born January 29, 1977) is an American softball coach and former pitcher who is currently head coach at UMass Lowell. Born in Huntington, New York, Henderson was a collegiate All-American at UMass and was part of the gold medal winning United States women's national softball team at the 2000 Summer Olympics. Henderson also played professionally in National Pro Fastpitch from 2004 to 2007. Along with numerous school records, she is the Atlantic 10 career leader in ERA, shutouts and perfect games (3).