Coach Terry Hanson from Crystal Lake, MN, will be inducted into the National Wheelchair Basketball Hall of Fame on April 20 in Louisville, KY.

Terry Hanson was introduced to the game of wheelchair basketball in 1971 when he joined a local recreational team called the Minnesota Spokesman.

Coach Hanson was a pioneer in the development of women’s wheelchair basketball. He was the founder of the Twin Cities Rolling Gophers women’ team and coached them to National Championship Tournament in1978, 79, 80, 82 and 83. Under Hanson, the Rolling Gophers won the National Championship in 1979(Carson, CA) and in 1982 (Sacramento, CA). He coached the Twin City Wheel of Fortune (formally the Rolling Gophers) to the championship game in 1984. From the inception and for the next 14 years, Terry Hanson was head coach of the Rolling Gophers and won the national titles twice

In 1981, Terry was asked to assist in the development United States Women’s Basketball program and was assistant coach leading Team USA to 6-0 record during the Have A Seat  Tour of Japan. In 1982 he was the first head coach to lead Team USA to a gold medal at the 1982 Pan American Wheelchair Games (Halifax, Nova Scotia). In 1983, he coached the women at the Women’s International Wheelchair Basketball Championships in France. In 1984 he led the women to a silver medal at the 1984 Paralympic Games in Stoke Mandeville England. He completed his coaching tenure with the Women’s Team USA in 1986 at the Stoke Mandeville Games.

Terry further served in the development of the NWBA both locally and regionally as an administrator. Terry served as President of the North Central conference for 6 years and through his leadership developed the conference into one of the first two division conferences in the US and included the Women’s team as a bona fide member.

Terry retired from wheelchair basketball but not after an outstanding career in the sport of wheelchair rugby. An All American wheelchair rugby player, Terry was inducted into the USQRA Hall of Fame in 2000.