Lou Henson is probably the most beloved coach in Illini basketball history. And while part of that may have to do with his leading the team into the Final Four in 1989, there's more to it than success on the basketball court.

The News-Gazette's Loren Tate spent a couple hours this summer, talking with Lou and Mary Henson at their home in Champaign. Below are some comments the two made about their lives then and now:

This coming season at Illinois marks anniversaries of two of Henson's best teams. It will be the 20th anniversary of the Final Four team of 1989 and the 25th anniversary of the Big Ten championship team of 1984. The 1989 team lost to Michigan in the semifinals in Seattle after a rebound basket by Sean Higgins over Nick Anderson. Lou talks about that tournament — and Higgins' game-winner:

When the Illini reached the title game of the 2005 NCAA tournament, comparisons to the 1989 squad were inevitable. Lou and Mary discuss how that 1989 team would have fared in a game against the 2005 squad:

Lou stayed at Illinois for 21 years, where he coached numerous players who were drafted into the NBA, including Eddie Johnson, Derek Harper, Ken Norman, Nick Anderson, Kendall Gill, Kenny Battle, Marcus Liberty, Steve Bardo, and Kiwane Garris.

But it was his relationship with a pair of Big Ten coaches that also endeared Lou to the Illini fans. First up, Indiana's Bobby Knight:

Iowa assistant coach Bruce Pearl, with his taped telephone conversation, started an NCAA investigation into the Illini's recruitment of Deon Thomas, who finished his four-year career as the all-time leading scorer in UI history. And although the NCAA did not find Illinois guilty of any wrongdoing related to Thomas, it did punish the school for "lack of institutional control." Lou talks about Pearl's actions, while Mary discusses the Illini fan support during that emotional time:

Lou retired from Illinois in 1996 after his teams won 423 of 647 games. He did it while his teams were still winning, his final team finishing 18-13 after an 11-1 start. Still, the UI coach knew it was time to leave:

Henson returned to coaching at New Mexico State, where he had led the 1970 team to the Final Four. He stepped in after a scandal had forced the removal of the school's head coach right prior to the start of the basketball season. Henson agreed to serve as an interim head coach, accepting a $1 as salary. He stayed eight seasons.

But health issues eventually put an end to his coaching. In July 2003, Henson was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. After treatment, it went into remission. But in September 2005, he contracted viral encephalitis and was left partially paralyzed. It was during his hospitalization for encephalitis that his trademark haircut ended.

With 779 career wins, he announced his retirement in January 2005 from New Mexico State. In July 2007, Henson's cancer returned. After another round of treatment, it is again in remission.

With his health back, just what are the odds that Henson will come out of retirement a third time?