Former Barnet player and manager, Ian Hendon has become the new Leyton Orient Head Coach. Hendon has spent the last four years as First Team Coach under Sam Allardyce at West Ham. Prior to that, he was assistant manager at Gillingham under another ex Bee, Andy Hessenthaller and had a very short stay as manager at Dover.
Hendon first came to Underhill as a player in season 2002/03 on loan from Sheffield Wednesdayand made 4 appearances for the Bees, scoring one goal, at home to Doncaster. He then signed for Peterborough, but returned to Underhill in the summer of 2003 to captain Martin Allen's bright, young, new look side for the 2003/04 season. He played a major part in the Bees' achievement of reaching the play-offs that season and then lead the club to the Conference championship the following season.
After a couple of seasons back in the Football League, Hendon became assistant manager under Paul Fairclough and then replaced Fairclough as manager at the end of 2008. Hendon enjoyed quite a lot of success in his first year as manager, leading the club away from the bottom of League Two to safety in 2008/09 and to a play-off position in the first few months of the following season. However, the club's form nose dived from December 2009 until the end of the season and, with the club in danger of being relegated, Hendon was sacked with two games remaining following defeat at Accrington.
Barnet Mad wishes Ian luck at Orient and we are sure that he will receive a warm welcome at the Hive with his new club.