Ole Miss will part ways with head basketball coach Andy Kennedy. The school announced on Monday that Kennedy, who has been the Rebels’ head coach since 2006, will finish out the season before stepping down.
Kennedy will leave the school as the winningest coach in program history – he currently has 245 wins with the Rebs. The Mississippi-native has been consistent at Ole Miss, but has been unable to really turn a corner with the program. The Rebels went dancing in 2013 and 2015, but won just one game between the two trips. Kennedy’s teams have been more of a fixture in the NIT, participating six times in the last eleven seasons.
In Monday’s press conference, Kennedy spoke to the media alongside AD Ross Bjork. The pair were very much at ease in what was – to use Kennedy’s word – a “peaceful” event.
There will be no shortage of suitors for Kennedy this offseason, should he look to continue coaching right away. The Bob Huggins disciple won 21 games in one season at Cincinnati before moving on to Oxford and spent time as an assistant at UC, South Alabama and his alma mater UAB.
The Ole Miss gig is a great opportunity for a mid-major coach looking to make the leap to the P5. Names to keep in mind include ETSU’s Steve Forbes, FGCU’s Joe Dooley, College of Charleston’s Earl Grant, and Middle Tennessee’s Kermit Davis.
credit to Mark Humphrey/Associated Press for the image
