Thursday, June 9, 2005

Contact: Stan Cole

Bobby Kennen Named Men's Basketball Assistant Coach

BUIES CREEK, N.C. – Bobby Kennen, a 12-year coaching veteran including six seasons on the NCAA Division I level, has been named assistant coach at Campbell University, head men's basketball coach Robbie Laing announced on Thursday.

Kennen joins the Fighting Camel staff after serving in a similar position the past five years under Hugh Durham at Jacksonville University. Kennen replaces Myron Guillory, who accepted an assistant post at Colorado State.

"We are extremely pleased that Bobby Kennen and his family have joined our Campbell basketball family," said Coach Laing, who is entering his third year in Buies Creek. "Coach Kennen will touch every part of our basketball program. He is recognized as one of the top young assistant coaches in college basketball. He is one of the hardest workers, a great teacher and communicator of fundamentals, who also possesses a contagious enthusiasm and passion for the game. We will benefit greatly from his knowledge of the A-Sun that he gained as a five year assistant at Jacksonville University under legendary head coach Hugh Durham."

At Jacksonville, Kennen was involved in all facets of the Dolphin program. In addition to working with the JU guards, he coordinated opponent scouting, monitored the team's academic progress and planned all team travel. Kennen also conducted individual player workouts in the off-season and earned a reputation as a tireless recruiter.

Kennen has also earned the respect of fellow coaches around the country. In 2002, he was appointed to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) Assistant Coaches Committee, which serves all assistant coaches with their needs and concerns related to the profession.

"Coach Laing and his staff have laid the foundation to build a championship program at Campbell," said the 34-year-old Kennen. "I am looking forward to the success this program will achieve next year and in the future. Championship programs are built with quality people, and Coach Laing has assembled an excellent staff and fine group of young men. The Campbell program is ready to make a major jump. I'm looking forward to being a part of it."

His work with the Dolphin backcourt the past four seasons has helped produce some of the top guards in the Atlantic Sun, while also helping establish three of the top defenses in JU basketball history. JU guards earned all-conference honors three times during his stint with the program.

In his five years at Jacksonville, Kennen had the opportunity to work under one of the most successful coaches in college basketball history. Upon his retirement in March, Coach Durham ranked eighth among active Division I coaches with 633 career wins and was the 25th winningest Division I coach in the history of college basketball.

Durham is the only coach in NCAA history to be the all-time winningest coach at three different Division I schools – Florida State, Georgia and JU. He is one of just 11 coaches to have led two different teams to the NCAA Final Four (Florida State in 1972 and Georgia in 1983). Durham is one of seven coaches with 100-or-more wins at three Division I schools: Tom Davis, Cliff Ellis, Mike Jarvis, Frank McGuire, Jerry Tarkanian and Butch van Breda Kolff.

JU won 78 games the last five years, which ranks fourth among all A-Sun schools and is the best stretch at Jacksonville in 31 years. Durham's staff also led the Dolphins to 50 conference wins the last five seasons, which ranks fourth among Atlantic Sun programs (first among the seven private institutions) and marks the best stretch in school history.

Prior to joining Durham's staff at JU, Kennen spent one season at Wichita State where he was in charge of the development of the perimeter players and served as the Shockers' recruiting coordinator. Under Kennen's guidance, WSU guard Jason Perez earned First-Team All-Missouri Valley Conference honors, while guard Terrell Benton was voted to the MVC Most Improved and All-Sixth Man teams. Kennen's first recruiting class at Wichita State ranked first in the MVC and 62nd nationally in 1999.
Before joining the coaching staff at Wichita State, Kennen spent 1998-99 as an assistant coach at Central Florida Community College after three seasons (1995-98) as head coach at Williston High School in Williston, Fla.

At Williston, he led the Red Devils to three straight Suwannee Conference Championships, earning Coach-of-the-Year honors each season. In 1995-96, Williston won a school-record 18 games en route to the conference title.

Kennen began his coaching career as an assistant varsity and head junior varsity coach at Santaluces High School in Lantana, Fla., where he helped lead the Chiefs to the 1993-94 sub-regional championship.

As a player, Kennen was a four-year starter at guard at Palm Beach Atlantic College from 1989-93, earning PBAC Athlete-of-the-Year honors in 1993, and was a four-time academic all-conference honoree.

The Ocala, Fla., native also served as team captain for three years and finished his career as the school's all-time single-game (20), single-season (294) and career (918) assists leader. Kennen graduated Cum Laude with B.S. degrees in biology and physical education from Palm Beach in 1993, and earned his master's degree in educational leadership from the University of Florida in 1998.

Kennen and his wife, Tracy, have a son, Trey (12), and a daughter, Regan (9).