Billy Kennedy (basketball coach)
Encyclopedia
Billy Kennedy is the head men's basketball coach at Texas A&M University
. He took over the position vacated by Mark Turgeon
in May 2011. He previously held the same position at Murray State University
for five seasons.
Kennedy previously held the same position at Centenary
and Southeastern Louisiana
. He has served 13 seasons as a collegiate head coach and 13 as an assistant.
Kennedy is a 1986 graduate of Southeastern Louisiana and 1984 graduate of Delgado Community College in New Orleans. He played basketball and attended Holy Cross High School in New Orleans.
, Kennedy's first collegiate head coaching job came at Centenary. There, he took over a program that had won only 30 games in the previous three seasons. His first team won 10 games but his second improved to a 14-14 overall record and a 9-7 Trans America Athletic Conference mark, its best finish in five years.
regular-season championship. His sixth team went 24-9, the most wins in school history, and won both the conference regular-season and tournament titles. The Lions advanced to the NCAA tournament
for the first time in school history, where it lost to Oklahoma State 63-50.
The Louisiana Sports Writers Association, the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (District 8) selected Kennedy coach of the year in 2004 and 2005.
Kennedy resigned from his position at Southeastern Louisiana to become the associate head coach at Miami.
Taking over a team with only one returning starter, he led the Racers to a 16-14 season and second-place finish in the Ohio Valley Conference
. His next two squads won 18 and 19 games, again placing second in the conference regular-season standings, and advanced as far as the OVC tournament semifinals.
His fourth team at Murray State won more games than any in school history, reaching the second round of the NCAA tournament
. The 13th-seeded Racers beat fourth-seed Vanderbilt University
66-65 in the first round in the West Regional at San Jose, California
, before falling 54-52 to fifth-seeded Butler University
in the second round, equaling the deepest run in the NCAA tournament in school history. During the season, the Racers won a school record 17 games in a row before losing 70-65 at Morehead State University
on February 25, 2010. The Racers finished the season with a 31-5 record, including a 17-1 conference mark, and avenged their lone league loss with a 62-51 win over Morehead State in the OVC tournament
championship game.
Kennedy was named 2010 OVC and National Association of Basketball Coaches (District 19) coach of the year.
In 2010-11, Kennedy's Racers repeated as OVC regular-season champions but fell in the conference tournament semifinals. As OVC regular-season champions, Murray State earned a berth in the National Invitation Tournament
where it lost 89-76 at Missouri State to finish with a 23-9 season record. Kennedy was again selected OVC coach of the year.
hired Kennedy in May 2011 after Mark Turgeon
left for the Maryland head coaching job. Kennedy previously coached at A&M from 1990-91. Kennedy stated at the press conference that A&M is his destination job and he plans to retire there.
On October 27, 2011, it was announced that Kennedy had been diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson's Disease
and would be leaving the team to undergo treatment. Kennedy said he planned to return following treatment and temporarily put Associate Coach Glynn Cyprien
in charge of the team.. On November 13, 2011, in A&M's second game of the regular season, Kennedy returned to the bench for the Aggies' game against Southern.
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
. He took over the position vacated by Mark Turgeon
Mark Turgeon
Mark Leo Turgeon is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the head coach for the University of Maryland Terrapins. Turgeon previously served as head coach at Texas A&M for 4 years.-Personal:...
in May 2011. He previously held the same position at Murray State University
Murray State University
Murray State University, located in the city of Murray, Kentucky, is a four-year public university with approximately 10,400 students. The school is Kentucky’s only public university to be listed in the U.S.News & World Report regional university top tier for the past 20 consecutive years...
for five seasons.
Kennedy previously held the same position at Centenary
Centenary College of Louisiana
Centenary College of Louisiana is a primarily undergraduate, liberal arts and sciences college in Shreveport, Louisiana. The college is one of the founding members of the Associated Colleges of the South, a pedagogical organization consisting of sixteen Southern liberal arts colleges...
and Southeastern Louisiana
Southeastern Louisiana University
Southeastern Louisiana University is a state-funded public university in Hammond, Louisiana, United States. It was founded in 1925 by Linus A. Sims, the principal of Hammond High School, as Hammond Junior College, located in a wing of the high school building. Sims succeeded in getting the campus...
. He has served 13 seasons as a collegiate head coach and 13 as an assistant.
Kennedy is a 1986 graduate of Southeastern Louisiana and 1984 graduate of Delgado Community College in New Orleans. He played basketball and attended Holy Cross High School in New Orleans.
Centenary
After serving 12 years as an assistant coach, including the previous four at CaliforniaUniversity of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, Kennedy's first collegiate head coaching job came at Centenary. There, he took over a program that had won only 30 games in the previous three seasons. His first team won 10 games but his second improved to a 14-14 overall record and a 9-7 Trans America Athletic Conference mark, its best finish in five years.
Southeastern Louisiana
Southeastern Louisiana hired Kennedy in 1999 and he steadily improved his alma mater, winning 10 games in his first season and doubling that total four seasons later, winning the Southland ConferenceSouthland Conference
The Southland Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the south central United States. It participates in the NCAA's Division I for all sports; for football, it participates in the Division I Football Championship Subdivision...
regular-season championship. His sixth team went 24-9, the most wins in school history, and won both the conference regular-season and tournament titles. The Lions advanced to the NCAA tournament
2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St...
for the first time in school history, where it lost to Oklahoma State 63-50.
The Louisiana Sports Writers Association, the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches, and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (District 8) selected Kennedy coach of the year in 2004 and 2005.
Kennedy resigned from his position at Southeastern Louisiana to become the associate head coach at Miami.
Murray State
After serving one season as an assistant at Miami, Kennedy was named Murray State's 14th men's basketball coach in 2006.Taking over a team with only one returning starter, he led the Racers to a 16-14 season and second-place finish in the Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
. His next two squads won 18 and 19 games, again placing second in the conference regular-season standings, and advanced as far as the OVC tournament semifinals.
His fourth team at Murray State won more games than any in school history, reaching the second round of the NCAA tournament
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
. The 13th-seeded Racers beat fourth-seed Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
66-65 in the first round in the West Regional at San Jose, California
San Jose, California
San Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay...
, before falling 54-52 to fifth-seeded Butler University
Butler University
Butler University is a private university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1855 and named after founder Ovid Butler, the university offers 60 degree programs to 4,400 students through six colleges: business, communication, education, liberal Arts and sciences, pharmacy and health...
in the second round, equaling the deepest run in the NCAA tournament in school history. During the season, the Racers won a school record 17 games in a row before losing 70-65 at Morehead State University
Morehead State University
Morehead State University is a public, co-educational university located in Morehead, Kentucky, United States in the foothills of the Daniel Boone National Forest in Rowan County, midway between Lexington, Kentucky, and Huntington, West Virginia. The 2012 edition of "America's Best Colleges" by U.S...
on February 25, 2010. The Racers finished the season with a 31-5 record, including a 17-1 conference mark, and avenged their lone league loss with a 62-51 win over Morehead State in the OVC tournament
2010 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament
-External links:***...
championship game.
Kennedy was named 2010 OVC and National Association of Basketball Coaches (District 19) coach of the year.
In 2010-11, Kennedy's Racers repeated as OVC regular-season champions but fell in the conference tournament semifinals. As OVC regular-season champions, Murray State earned a berth in the National Invitation Tournament
2011 National Invitation Tournament
-Colorado bracket:-Boston College bracket:-Virginia Tech bracket:-NIT Final Four - NIT Semifinals and NIT Championship Game:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City-See also:* 2011 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament...
where it lost 89-76 at Missouri State to finish with a 23-9 season record. Kennedy was again selected OVC coach of the year.
Texas A&M
Texas A&MTexas A&M Aggies men's basketball
The Texas A&M Aggies men's basketball team represents Texas A&M University in NCAA Division I college basketball. The Aggies play home games at Reed Arena, a 12,500-capacity arena in College Station, Texas on the campus of Texas A&M University....
hired Kennedy in May 2011 after Mark Turgeon
Mark Turgeon
Mark Leo Turgeon is an American college basketball coach. He is currently the head coach for the University of Maryland Terrapins. Turgeon previously served as head coach at Texas A&M for 4 years.-Personal:...
left for the Maryland head coaching job. Kennedy previously coached at A&M from 1990-91. Kennedy stated at the press conference that A&M is his destination job and he plans to retire there.
On October 27, 2011, it was announced that Kennedy had been diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson's Disease
Parkinson's disease
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system...
and would be leaving the team to undergo treatment. Kennedy said he planned to return following treatment and temporarily put Associate Coach Glynn Cyprien
Glynn Cyprien
Glynn Cyprien is an American basketball coach and is currently an assistant under Billy Kennedy at Texas A&M University in College Station. He previously assisted Josh Pastner at the University of Memphis, Billy Gillispie at the University of Kentucky, and prior to that was an assistant coach at...
in charge of the team.. On November 13, 2011, in A&M's second game of the regular season, Kennedy returned to the bench for the Aggies' game against Southern.