FSU Hall of Fame coach Pat Kennedy named AD, basketball coach at Jefferson County K-12 school
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Bottom line, Pat Kennedy misses coaching – even at age 70.
Kennedy, who spent 31 years as a Division I men's basketball coach and led Florida State to the NCAA Tournament five times in 11 years (1986-97), has been named the athletic director and boys basketball coach at Jefferson County K-12 school in Monticello.
The district school board approved the hire Monday night.
Kennedy will be reunited with longtime friend Jackie Pons, the high school's principal and former Leon County Superintendent.
"Probably like many senior citizens, you get the itch to go back and get working again," Kennedy told the Democrat from his home in Norwalk, Connecticut, 48 miles northeast of New York City.
"I tried the semi-retirement thing. I just said I would love to get back going full-time with it again, being with young people, being on a team. All that stuff is important to me and I have always enjoyed it. I still feel so young at heart and young at mind.
"It's going to be challenging but it's also going to be fun and exciting."
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Kennedy, part of FSU's 2017 Hall of Fame class, last coached at Pace University in New York seven years ago. His career record over 33 years as a head coach is 499-497.
Kennedy has continued to be involved in basketball, instructing in camps and clinics and appearing routinely on national and digital broadcasts. Kennedy and wife Jeannie have also worked closely with the Special Olympics for years. Jeannie is currently an administrator at a private, all-girls school in New Rochelle, New York.
"I have enjoyed what I've been doing, but it was getting tired, it was getting old," Kennedy said. "It seemed like you are trying to find things to keep busy opposed to having something specific."
Connected to Tallahassee
Kennedy has always considered Tallahassee his second home.
Son Joey played basketball at Maclay and the Kennedy's two daughters were born in Tallahassee. Kennedy said the family still has close friends here, and that he and Pons have talked routinely since he left FSU for DePaul 25 years ago.
Kennedy said it was during a conversation with Pons a few months ago when Kennedy mentioned he'd be interested in joining Pons at Jefferson County K-12.
"I told Jackie I would be interested (in a job) if he thought it made sense," Kennedy said.
Pons, hired last summer, helped get Jefferson County's charter school back into the the school district. In March, Pons hired Lenorris Footman — a former Jefferson County and Alcorn State star — as the school's new football coach.
Kennedy applied for the position as athletic director/boys basketball coach and went through the interview process via Zoom last month. Kennedy, who made a career-high annual salary of $850,000 while at DePaul, will earn a teaching salary between $47,500 and $67,500, according to Pons. He will also be eligible for supplements as AD that will increase his salary.
Kennedy also has a background in sports administration, serving as an assistant athletic director at Iona while he coached the men's basketball team. Kennedy said he will teach classes, manage facilities and athletic scheduling at Jefferson County K-12.
“It is truly an honor to have someone of Pat’s status working for Jefferson County K-12,” Pons said in a release from Hammerhead Communications. “He is going to change lives for the better, which is what coaching is all about.”
Kennedy plans to move to Tallahassee next month in preparation for his August start date. One opponent Kennedy hopes to schedule in boys basketball is Florida High, coached by Charlie Ward.
Ward started at point guard for Kennedy at FSU and is the school's first Heisman Trophy winner (1993) after the quarterback led the football Seminoles to a national title that season. Ward's Florida High Seminoles this past season won the Class 3A state title, the program's first since 1963.
"I think that would be a classic," said Kennedy, whose 1992-93 FSU team was one of the only teams in ACC history to include four NBA first-round draft picks in Ward, Bob Sura, Sam Cassell and Doug Edwards. "Hopefully, we could play them a few times a year."
Kennedy applied for FAMU vacancy
This is not the first time Kennedy looked to return to Tallahassee.
In 2017, he was among 122 applicants who applied for the Florida A&M men's basketball coaching vacancy after Byron Samuels’ contract was not renewed. The Rattlers hired Robert McCullum, the former Oregon assistant director of basketball operations and USF head coach.
Kennedy said he's looking forward to living in the Tallahassee area and making a difference with youth, families and communities. He laughed and admitted it will be nice to get away "from the ice and snow" and back to Florida's sunshine.
Naturally, he's also excited about opportunities to cheer on the Seminoles. Seven of Kennedy's 11 FSU teams recorded 19 or more wins and five reached the 20-win plateau.
"It will be interesting to see what people think around town when they hear," Kennedy said and chuckled. "A lot of people there probably don't remember our time (at FSU). Time does certainly fly. It has been 25-plus years since we were there. And we are really looking forward to returning. It's an exciting opportunity.
"It's a smaller version of what I’ve always done."
KENNEDY COACHING FILE
1973–1975: King's (PA) (JV)
1975–1977: Lehigh (assistant)
1977–1980: Iona (assistant)
1980–1986: Iona
1986–1997: Florida State
1997–2002: DePaul
2002–2004: Montana
2004–2011: Towson
2013–2015: Pace
Coaching record
Overall: 499–497
Tournaments: 6–8 (NCAA Division I); 7–5 (NIT)
Accomplishments/honors
Championships
Awards
- Wikipedia
Reach Jim Henry at jjhenry@tallahassee.com.
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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Former FSU coach Pat Kennedy AD, basketball coach in Monticello
