Andy Kennedy (basketball coach)
Encyclopedia
Andy Kennedy is an American
college basketball
coach and the current head
men's basketball coach
at the University of Mississippi
(Ole Miss). Kennedy was a player in high school at both Winston Academy and Louisville High School. He was a 1986 Parade
All-American and he went on to play for North Carolina State
and the University of Alabama at Birmingham
(UAB). On March 24, 2006, Kennedy was introduced as the Rebels' 20th head men's basketball coach.
's 1987 Atlantic Coast Conference
championship team. He played for UAB and was a coach there too.
's Charlotte Hornets at guard. He later began a three-year professional career abroad, playing in Greece
, Holland, Spain
and Puerto Rico
. Chronic knee problems brought his career to an early end. He had his second ACL
tear and subsequently his fifth and final knee operation while playing in Puerto Rico and chose to retire as a player and transition into coaching.
during the 1994–95 season. Since then he has also served as an assistant coach at UAB from 1996 to 2001 and the University of Cincinnati
from 2001 to 2005. Kennedy's most notable coaching position came during the 2005–06 season when he was named interim head coach for Cincinnati after Bob Huggins
resigned. He led the Bearcats to a 21–13 record and an NIT
appearance that year. He is known for his excellent style of recruiting, and has developed a national reputation as a top recruiter.
. He led the Rebels to a 21–13 overall record and 8–8 in conference play record to become co-champions of the Southeastern Conference Western division
. The Rebels made it to the semi-finals of the SEC tournament, but fell to the eventual champions, Florida
. The Rebels then received an NIT berth and won the first round against Appalachian State
but fell to the eventual runners-up, Clemson
.
Andy Kennedy's 2006–07 season as an Ole Miss Rebel was thought of as a success as the Rebels shared the SEC's Western Division title with Mississippi State
after being projected to finish last in the West division. Kennedy's Rebels did a nice job defending their home court in Oxford where they were 14–1, losing only to Kentucky.
expressed their complete confidence that Kennedy will be cleared of all charges, despite police video of the incident which has aired on TV on the show "Hot Pursuit" and despite the public testimony of a valet who witnessed the incident and whose account of the assault corroborates the cab driver's story. Kennedy subsequently filed a lawsuit against both Jiddou and the witness valet for defamation of character; Kennedy claims, as well as four other people that were with him, that no assault occurred and that Jiddou was the one who used racial slurs in insulting Ole Miss assistant coach Torrey Ward, who is black and was with Kennedy at the time of the arrest.
Kennedy's arrest was featured on TRUTV's HOTPURSUIT (episode "On the Edge") (original air date March 11, 2010) he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and was threatened with being tasered multiple times for not following the officers directions.
Kennedy while handcuffed in the patrol car claimed it was an "international altercation".
On December 22, 2008, Kennedy's wife filed suit against the cab driver claiming loss of consortium
from her husband. Published reports have not provided specifics regarding the loss of consortium. On January 16, 2009, the cab driver and the witness filed civil countersuits claiming distress from the frivolous lawsuits filed by Kennedy and his wife. The cab driver has also filed a separate civil lawsuit against Andy Kennedy for assault and ethnic intimidation.
On Monday, April 21, 2009, in the criminal trial, Kennedy plead guilty to disorderly conduct and was sentenced to six months' probation, a $100 fine and 40 hours of community service. By pleading down to disorderly conduct, he avoided a possible six-month jail sentence on the original first-degree misdemeanor assault charge. Kennedy still vehemently denies that he punched Jiddou or uttered ethnic slurs at him. He only admitted to a verbal altercation which escalated into an incident that did not involve slurs or violence. After Kennedy's plea, Ole Miss announced the coach would keep his job. Athletic director Pete Boone
said because of the incident, Kennedy's contract would not be extended at this time but left open the possibility of extending it in the future. Kennedy still has 3 years left on a 4-year contract.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
college basketball
College basketball
College basketball most often refers to the USA basketball competitive governance structure established by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Basketball in the NCAA is divided into three divisions: Division I, Division II and Division III....
coach and the current head
Head coach
A head coach, senior coach or manager is a professional at training and developing athletes. They typically hold a more public profile and are paid more than other coaches...
men's basketball coach
Coach (basketball)
Basketball coaching is the act of directing and strategizing the behaviour of a basketball team or individual basketball player. Basketball coaching typically encompasses the improvement of individual and team offensive and defensive skills, as well as overall physical conditioning.Coaching is...
at the University of Mississippi
University of Mississippi
The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1844, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford, four branch campuses located in Booneville, Grenada, Tupelo, and Southaven as well as the...
(Ole Miss). Kennedy was a player in high school at both Winston Academy and Louisville High School. He was a 1986 Parade
Parade (magazine)
Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-American and he went on to play for North Carolina State
NC State Wolfpack men's basketball
The NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team represents North Carolina State University in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Wolfpack currently competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference, of which it was a founding member....
and the University of Alabama at Birmingham
University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Alabama at Birmingham is a public university in Birmingham in the U.S. state of Alabama. Developing from an extension center established in 1936, the institution became an autonomous institution in 1969 and is today one of three institutions in the University of Alabama System...
(UAB). On March 24, 2006, Kennedy was introduced as the Rebels' 20th head men's basketball coach.
College
Kennedy, a 6'7" forward, was a 1986 Parade All-American, as well as the Mississippi Player of the Year at Louisville High School. He started his collegiate career at North Carolina State where he was a member of Jim ValvanoJim Valvano
James Thomas Anthony "Jim" Valvano , nicknamed Jimmy V, was an American college basketball coach.While the head basketball coach at North Carolina State University, he won the 1983 NCAA Basketball Tournament against high odds...
's 1987 Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
championship team. He played for UAB and was a coach there too.
Professional
After graduation, Kennedy played briefly for the NBANational Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
's Charlotte Hornets at guard. He later began a three-year professional career abroad, playing in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, Holland, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. Chronic knee problems brought his career to an early end. He had his second ACL
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
tear and subsequently his fifth and final knee operation while playing in Puerto Rico and chose to retire as a player and transition into coaching.
Early years
Kennedy's coaching career began as an assistant for the University of South AlabamaUniversity of South Alabama
The University of South Alabama is a public, doctoral-level university in Mobile, Alabama, USA. It was created by the Alabama Legislature in 1963, and replaced existing extension programs operated in Mobile by the University of Alabama. No other areas of the state were willing to support such a...
during the 1994–95 season. Since then he has also served as an assistant coach at UAB from 1996 to 2001 and the University of Cincinnati
University of Cincinnati
The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....
from 2001 to 2005. Kennedy's most notable coaching position came during the 2005–06 season when he was named interim head coach for Cincinnati after Bob Huggins
Bob Huggins
Bob Huggins, nicknamed "Huggy Bear", is the head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team. Huggins previously held the head coaching positions at the University of Cincinnati and Kansas State University...
resigned. He led the Bearcats to a 21–13 record and an NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
appearance that year. He is known for his excellent style of recruiting, and has developed a national reputation as a top recruiter.
Ole Miss
He is now the head men's basketball coach for the Ole Miss RebelsOle Miss Rebels
University of Mississippi sports teams, originally known as the "Mississippi Flood" , were re-named the Rebels in 1936 and compete in the twelve-member Southeastern Conference of the NCAA's Division I. The school's colors are cardinal red and navy blue , purposely chosen to mirror the school...
. He led the Rebels to a 21–13 overall record and 8–8 in conference play record to become co-champions of the Southeastern Conference Western division
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
. The Rebels made it to the semi-finals of the SEC tournament, but fell to the eventual champions, Florida
Florida Gators men's basketball
The Florida Gators men's basketball team represents the University of Florida in the sport of basketball. The Gators compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Southeastern Conference...
. The Rebels then received an NIT berth and won the first round against Appalachian State
Appalachian State Mountaineers men's basketball
The Appalachian State Mountaineers basketball team is the college basketball team at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. The Mountaineers have competed in the Southern Conference since 1972, and are currently a Division I member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association ....
but fell to the eventual runners-up, Clemson
Clemson Tigers men's basketball
The Clemson Tigers men's basketball team is a college basketball program that competes in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the NCAA Division I. The current head coach is Brad Brownell.-Team history:...
.
Andy Kennedy's 2006–07 season as an Ole Miss Rebel was thought of as a success as the Rebels shared the SEC's Western Division title with Mississippi State
Mississippi State Bulldogs men's basketball
The Mississippi State Bulldogs basketball program represents Mississippi State University in Starkville, MS in men's NCAA Division I basketball. The Bulldogs play in the Southeastern Conference and are currently coached by Rick Stansbury. As of the 2010 season the Bulldogs are 1272-1056...
after being projected to finish last in the West division. Kennedy's Rebels did a nice job defending their home court in Oxford where they were 14–1, losing only to Kentucky.
Arrest
Kennedy was arrested in Cincinnati, Ohio on December 18, 2008, after allegedly punching cab driver Mohammed Jiddou with "a closed fist while shouting racial slurs," according to the police report. Kennedy's attorney entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf at a court hearing later that day, and Kennedy as well as UM athletic director Pete BoonePete Boone
Pete Boone is the athletics director for the University of Mississippi .-University of Mississippi:Boone is a 1972 graduate of the University of Mississippi and a native of Grenada, Mississippi...
expressed their complete confidence that Kennedy will be cleared of all charges, despite police video of the incident which has aired on TV on the show "Hot Pursuit" and despite the public testimony of a valet who witnessed the incident and whose account of the assault corroborates the cab driver's story. Kennedy subsequently filed a lawsuit against both Jiddou and the witness valet for defamation of character; Kennedy claims, as well as four other people that were with him, that no assault occurred and that Jiddou was the one who used racial slurs in insulting Ole Miss assistant coach Torrey Ward, who is black and was with Kennedy at the time of the arrest.
Kennedy's arrest was featured on TRUTV's HOTPURSUIT (episode "On the Edge") (original air date March 11, 2010) he appeared to be under the influence of alcohol and was threatened with being tasered multiple times for not following the officers directions.
Kennedy while handcuffed in the patrol car claimed it was an "international altercation".
On December 22, 2008, Kennedy's wife filed suit against the cab driver claiming loss of consortium
Loss of consortium
Loss of consortium is a term used in the law of torts that refers to the deprivation of the benefits of a family relationship due to injuries caused by a tortfeasor. Loss of consortium arising from personal injuries was recognized under the English common law...
from her husband. Published reports have not provided specifics regarding the loss of consortium. On January 16, 2009, the cab driver and the witness filed civil countersuits claiming distress from the frivolous lawsuits filed by Kennedy and his wife. The cab driver has also filed a separate civil lawsuit against Andy Kennedy for assault and ethnic intimidation.
On Monday, April 21, 2009, in the criminal trial, Kennedy plead guilty to disorderly conduct and was sentenced to six months' probation, a $100 fine and 40 hours of community service. By pleading down to disorderly conduct, he avoided a possible six-month jail sentence on the original first-degree misdemeanor assault charge. Kennedy still vehemently denies that he punched Jiddou or uttered ethnic slurs at him. He only admitted to a verbal altercation which escalated into an incident that did not involve slurs or violence. After Kennedy's plea, Ole Miss announced the coach would keep his job. Athletic director Pete Boone
Pete Boone
Pete Boone is the athletics director for the University of Mississippi .-University of Mississippi:Boone is a 1972 graduate of the University of Mississippi and a native of Grenada, Mississippi...
said because of the incident, Kennedy's contract would not be extended at this time but left open the possibility of extending it in the future. Kennedy still has 3 years left on a 4-year contract.