05-15-2011, 09:43 PM
Billy Kennedy has decided to leave Murrary State and become the next coach at Texas A&M, the coach confirmed in a text message Sunday.
Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne and associate athletic director John Thornton met with Kennedy early Saturday and then flew to Fargo, N.D., to meet with Northern Iowa's Ben Jacobson.
But Jacobson told ESPN.com via text message that he will remain at Northern Iowa.
The Aggies had been debating between the two candidates to succeed Mark Turgeon, who was announced as Maryland's head coach last week, with Jacobson having an impressive interview, according to another source.
But Kennedy's ties to Texas A&M as a former assistant and his recruiting strength in Texas and nearby Louisiana, where he was a former head coach in the state, may have swayed the hire in Kennedy's favor.
Assistant coach Scott Spinelli was a fallback candidate, but will now go to Maryland with Turgeon.
Seth Allen, a 6-foot-1 guard out of Fredericksburg (Md.) Christian School in the class of 2012, was being recruited by Spinelli and Turgeon to Texas A&M a month ago. But on Saturday, Allen committed to Maryland as Turgeon's first recruit.
Murray State won the Ohio Valley Conference regular season title in March with a 14-4 record under Kennedy. The No. 1 seed in the OVC tournament, the Racers were upset by Tennessee Tech. Murray State then played Missouri State in the first round of the NIT and lost on the road to finish 23-9.
In 2010, Murray State won 31 games (17-1 OVC) and knocked off Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA tournament before losing to eventual national runner-up Butler in the second round.
Kennedy took over for Mick Cronin in 2006 when Cronin left for Cincinnati. Kennedy has worked in various capacities at Southeastern Louisiana, New Orleans, Wyoming, Northwestern State (La.), Tulane, Texas A&M for one season, Creighton, Cal, Centenary and Miami (Fla.) before Murray State.
Kennedy was coach at Centenary and Southeastern Louisiana and worked for Frank Haith at Miami, who is now at Missouri. Kennedy is from Metairie, La., just outside New Orleans.
According to a source, Kennedy didn't believe he would get a call when Turgeon left for Maryland. Kennedy received a one-year contract extension after this past season, which takes him through 2014-15. His salary reportedly went from a base of $146,000 to $225,000, and with incentives could reach $275,000 a year. The sum is believed to be the highest in the OVC, but would pale in comparison to a potential $1 million deal from Texas A&M.
Another source close to one of the previous candidates said the Aggies were prepared to offer $1.3 million to $1.5 million a year.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6553151
Texas A&M athletic director Bill Byrne and associate athletic director John Thornton met with Kennedy early Saturday and then flew to Fargo, N.D., to meet with Northern Iowa's Ben Jacobson.
But Jacobson told ESPN.com via text message that he will remain at Northern Iowa.
The Aggies had been debating between the two candidates to succeed Mark Turgeon, who was announced as Maryland's head coach last week, with Jacobson having an impressive interview, according to another source.
But Kennedy's ties to Texas A&M as a former assistant and his recruiting strength in Texas and nearby Louisiana, where he was a former head coach in the state, may have swayed the hire in Kennedy's favor.
Assistant coach Scott Spinelli was a fallback candidate, but will now go to Maryland with Turgeon.
Seth Allen, a 6-foot-1 guard out of Fredericksburg (Md.) Christian School in the class of 2012, was being recruited by Spinelli and Turgeon to Texas A&M a month ago. But on Saturday, Allen committed to Maryland as Turgeon's first recruit.
Murray State won the Ohio Valley Conference regular season title in March with a 14-4 record under Kennedy. The No. 1 seed in the OVC tournament, the Racers were upset by Tennessee Tech. Murray State then played Missouri State in the first round of the NIT and lost on the road to finish 23-9.
In 2010, Murray State won 31 games (17-1 OVC) and knocked off Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA tournament before losing to eventual national runner-up Butler in the second round.
Kennedy took over for Mick Cronin in 2006 when Cronin left for Cincinnati. Kennedy has worked in various capacities at Southeastern Louisiana, New Orleans, Wyoming, Northwestern State (La.), Tulane, Texas A&M for one season, Creighton, Cal, Centenary and Miami (Fla.) before Murray State.
Kennedy was coach at Centenary and Southeastern Louisiana and worked for Frank Haith at Miami, who is now at Missouri. Kennedy is from Metairie, La., just outside New Orleans.
According to a source, Kennedy didn't believe he would get a call when Turgeon left for Maryland. Kennedy received a one-year contract extension after this past season, which takes him through 2014-15. His salary reportedly went from a base of $146,000 to $225,000, and with incentives could reach $275,000 a year. The sum is believed to be the highest in the OVC, but would pale in comparison to a potential $1 million deal from Texas A&M.
Another source close to one of the previous candidates said the Aggies were prepared to offer $1.3 million to $1.5 million a year.
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=6553151