MORE THAN JUST A RECRUITER


He can recruit, but…

It’s a label that some have hung around the neck of Pat Kennedy, but with 416 wins and counting, it’s Kennedy that has put stranglehold on many opponents. And now the coach that can only recruit has taken the reigns of struggling Towson program.

“Unfortunately many people see things they want to see them,” laughed Kennedy. “I have always taken great pride in being able to sell the vision of our program. But if you recruit well and don’t meet other people’s expectations, then they say you can only recruit.”

A few eyebrows were raised when Kennedy, who compiled a 23-35 mark in two seasons at Montana, was named to replace Michael Hunt who resigned in April. But Towson president, Dr. Robert Caret recognized what many of Kennedy’s piers have known for a long time -- There is so much more about Pat Kennedy than just recruiting.

“It’s ridiculous for anyone to say that Pat is just a recruiter,” says former Marist head coach Dave Magarity. “What makes me laugh is that those same people don’t understand that recruiting is a part of coaching. There are a lot of excellent ‘coaches’ that aren’t able to consistently attract the type of talent Pat has brought to the programs that he has coached. You don’t have sustained success by just being able to bring in talent.

And that sustained success is now entering season number twenty-five, tied for nineteenth on the win list among active coaches. Climbing that list just got exceedingly more difficult, but the difficult has never been an obstacle for Kennedy.

“Florida State was and still is a football environment,” says Kennedy, “but we were able to build a successful program. DePaul was a tradition-rich program that had been down for a few years, but we were able to turn things around. I have always taken great pride in taking on a challenge.”

Kennedy’s ‘take-on-a-challenge’ approach is due in large part to his two seasons spent serving as an assistant at Iona. After one season as an understudy at Lehigh, Kennedy joined Jim Valvano’s staff in New Rochelle, NY.

“The most important years of my life were spent at Iona with Jim,” says Kennedy. “Jim has been honored through the years, but only those who knew him really well knew that his contributions extended well beyond the basketball court. He taught me that basketball was more than just recruiting and x’s and o’s.”

After a 4-19 finish in 1975, Valvano replaced Gene Roberti and almost immediately turned the program around. In the two seasons prior to Kennedy’s arrival on the scene, Valvano led Iona to 32 wins. Valvano had already made his mark, but Kennedy recalls that was not nearly enough.

“For Jim it was always about doing what couldn’t be done and doing what others never thought about doing,” says Kennedy. “I can remember walking through the cafeteria with Jim and he was miffed as to why the students were eating off paper plates. He made it a point to make sure the students had regular plates to eat from.”

It was that non-conventional way of looking at things that Kennedy absorbed. Coaches often say that they are ‘sponges,’ trying to soak up as much as they can. But Kennedy became saturated with the Valvano way of doing things.

Iona continued to build on its’ success and in 1979 the Gaels earned a berth in the NCAA tournament for the first time ever. Following a second NCAA appearance, Valvano left for North Carolina State, thus ushering in the head-coaching career of Kennedy.

“I would not be where I am today if it were not for Jim,” says Kennedy. “From the first day I met him I made it a high priority to get on his coaching staff, but I had no idea how important that decision was. It was the best decision I ever made.”

Much like Valvano, Kennedy has always endeared himself to his piers. In a sport full of egos, Kennedy is as humble as they come, treating the school janitor as if he were the school president, something that the people at Towson will quickly learn.

For the New Jersey native, making the Tigers a competitive team in the Colonial Athletic Association (selected as the top mid-major conference in America in 2003-04 by CollegeInsider.com) is a challenge in itself. But Kennedy, who has always bitten off more than most can chew, has an additional responsibility.

This past April Kennedy was named as the successor to Oklahoma’s Kelvin Sampson as president of the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Given the current climate of the profession, one could argue that the title of NABC leader is more challenging than his new coaching post.

“These are tumultuous times for our sport,” says Kelvin Sampson. “We have made a lot of inroads during my tenure and there is nobody better suited to continue to lead us into the next season than Pat Kennedy. Honor and integrity are what Pat is all about and he cares about the game.”

Those sentiments are echoed by coaches everywhere. In fact, you would be hard pressed to find anyone in the coaching fraternity that does not have a high opinion of Kennedy. And being handed the task of leading his fellow coaches is something that humbles Kennedy.

“It’s an honor to be have be named president,” says Kennedy.

“We have entered a unique and important time in the development of the game,” says Kennedy. “Never in my 32 years of coaching has there been more cooperation with the NCAA. Some will argue, but I have seen the commitment first hand. Our ongoing dialogue with Miles Brand and his staff is essential to get to the heat of the matter. In time the nonbelievers will recognize our efforts.”

Much like his mentor Valvano, Kennedy already has plans to implement things that many of his predecessors never contemplated. Kennedy wants to see an NABC congress made up of assistant coaches, recognizing that assistants are the next wave of head coaches and have a voice that must be heard.

He also wants every coach to fully understand the inner workings of the NABC and how it can best serve each and every coach in the profession, regardless of level. And perhaps most important is the issue of academic reform.

“It’s all about access and opportunity and we need to continue to give young people opportunities,” he says. “When I was at Iona, 70 percent of our players would not have been admitted to college, if it were not for basketball. All but one of those players graduated. All of us as coaches were given an opportunity and we need to do the same for others.”

And to think that some still believe is just a recruiter.

The only thing better than the commitment is the person. Pat Kennedy is truly one of the best people in the profession.