• Hi Guest,

    We've updated the site to combine all the forums that were part of the Big Sky Fans Network into one location. This will make it easier to navigate and participate in all the discussions for each school without having to have multiple accounts, etc. We are still working out some tweaks but please let us know if you notice anything.

    With the migration, in some circumstances, your username could have been merged with one of your other usernames from the other forums. If this is the case, you can request to change your username in your account details page of your profile.

Lynn Kennedy Named Women's Basketball Coach

Viktorious

Active member
http://goviks.com/news/2015/4/7/WBB_0407150544.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Portland State Director of Athletics Mark Rountree has announced the hiring of Lynn Kennedy as the new Vikings women's basketball coach.

Kennedy comes to Portland State with 14 years experience as a collegiate head coach and more than 20 years coaching experience overall. For the past 10 seasons, he has led the Southern Oregon women's basketball program to outstanding success. The Raiders were 27-5 this past season, ranked in the top 10 in the nation and reached the NAIA Division II Sweet 16. In all, Kennedy was 208-105 as head coach at Southern Oregon, leading three teams to the NAIA National Tournament.

In all, Kennedy's Raider program had five 20-win seasons, including each of the last two. Kennedy's players have earned 22 All-Conference honors, four All-American honors and eight Academic All-American honors.

This past season, Southern Oregon led the Cascade Collegiate Conference in eight statistical categories, including scoring, field goal percentage, three-point percentage and rebounding.

"We are thrilled that Lynn Kennedy will be joining the PSU family to lead our Women's Basketball program," said Rountree. "Lynn has a proven track record of success having developed two different college programs into consistent winners. He is committed to the academic success of our student-athletes, and I know he will do great things for Portland State."

"I would like to thank President Wiewel, Mark Rountree and the search committee for this opportunity," said Kennedy. "Portland State is the perfect fit for our family and I am extremely excited about the opportunity in leading the women's basketball program. Throughout the process, I was impressed with the support, passion and energy of the campus community and athletic administration. It is evident that they want women's basketball to be successful. It is a great time to be a Viking."

Kennedy will be charged with turning around a Viking women's basketball program that has struggled in recent seasons. Program transformation is one thing that Kennedy has proven he can do, succeeding at both New Mexico Highlands and Southern Oregon.

The head coach at NCAA II New Mexico Highlands from 2002-05, Kennedy took a team that had won only four games the season before his arrival and within three seasons led it to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Western Division title.

The Southern Oregon Raiders were 4-25 the year before Kennedy took over the women's basketball program at the Ashland, OR school. The following season they won 12 games, followed by 18 in 2006-07, then a school-record 29-5 mark in 2007-08.

PSU had won the Big Sky Conference regular season championship as recently as 2010-11. The Vikings made appearances in the WNIT in 2008-09 and 2010-11, with their first-ever trip to the NCAA Tournament in 2009-10. But the win totals have dropped in the past four years from 15 to 12 to eight and then four.

"I believe Coach Kennedy is the right person to re-establish Portland State as one of the top programs in the Big Sky," said Rountree. "He has strong recruiting ties in the state, and plays a fast-paced, up-tempo style. Our student-athletes will enjoy playing that way and I know our fans will enjoy watching."

Kennedy has coaching experience in the Big Sky Conference as well. He was an assistant coach at Eastern Washington (1999-2001) and Idaho State (2001-02). Kennedy was named the interim Head Coach at Idaho State for the final seven games of that season.

His coaching career began as an assistant at Northwest University in Kirkland, WA. He was the head coach for one season (1998-99) before moving on to Eastern Washington.

Kennedy is a native of Eugene, OR. He prepped at Cascade High School in Everett, WA, then played collegiately at Northwest Christian College and Northwest University. Lynn and his wife, Amy, have two sons, Graycen and Parker.

"Leaving Southern Oregon and the Ashland community was not an easy decision for my family,"Kennedy said. "I want to thank all the players that help build the SOU program the last 10 years. We have developed lifetime friends."

A reception for Kennedy will take place on Monday, April 13, at 3 p.m. in the Morrow Team Room of the Peter W. Stott Center.

THE LYNN KENNEDY FILE
Head Women's Basketball Coach at Portland State

Hometown: Eugene, OR
Alma Mater: BA in Business Administration, Northwest University, 1995;
MA in Physical Education, Pacific Lutheran, 1997;
MBA, New Mexico Highlands, 2007
Playing Experience: Northwest Christian (1990-92), Northwest University (1993-95)
Family: Wife, Amy; sons Graycen and Parker

COACHING EXPERIENCE
2015-16 Portland State, Head Coach
2005-15 Southern Oregon, Head Coach
2002-05 New Mexico Highlands, Head Coach
2001-02 Idaho State, Assistant Coach/Interim Head Coach
1999-01 Eastern Washington, Assistant Coach
1998-99 Northwest University, Head Coach
1997-98 Lake Washington (HS), Assistant Boys Coach
1995-97 Northwest University, Assistant Coach

PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY VIKINGS ATHLETICS
The Portland State Athletics program is a member of the Big Sky Conference. The Vikings have won 28 conference team championships and made 17 NCAA post-season appearances since 2003. Portland State has recently announced the development of the new Viking Pavilion Project, which will renovate the Peter W. Stott Center, the home of Portland State Athletics and women's basketball. A new basketball arena should be ready during the 2017-18 basketball season.
 
KENNEDY STEPS DOWN TO ACCEPT PORTLAND STATE JOB

http://www.souraiders.com/news/2015/4/7/WBB_0407155737.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

ASHLAND – Lynn Kennedy has resigned from his post as the head women's basketball coach at Southern Oregon University to accept the same title at Portland State University, ending a 10-year run at SOU that peaked this season with the program's first NAIA tournament win since 1999.

Kennedy will depart for the Big Sky Conference having amassed the second-most coaching victories in Raider history. He went 208-105 since taking over for Kevin Wilson prior to the 2005-06 season, most recently going 27-5 with an appearance in the Sweet 16.

SOU will launch a national search for Kennedy's replacement immediately.

"Lynn re-established SOU women's basketball as a dynamic and successful program on the national stage," SOU Athletic Director Matt Sayre said. "We were lucky to have him as part of our team and wish him continued success with his new one at PSU. They've made a good hire, and it's a great opportunity for Lynn."

After coming to SOU from New Mexico Highlands University, Kennedy didn't need long to revive a program that won four games the season before his arrival. In his third year, the 2007-08 Raiders went 29-5 and won Cascade Conference regular-season and tournament titles.

That would be the first of SOU's six 20-win campaigns in an eight-year span. This season's Raiders started with nine consecutive wins, went 15-3 in the CCC and were No. 13 in the NAIA Division II postseason poll.

Kennedy's teams developed a reputation for their fast-paced, high-scoring styles. His last three outfits own the top-three spots for total points in the Raider record book, and this year's team also ranked No. 15 in the NAIA in opponents' field-goal percentage.

"It has been an honor to be the head coach at SOU for the past 10 years," Kennedy said. "I have been blessed to work with so many great coaches, trainers and staff members. I want to thank [former] President Elisabeth Zinser and [former athletic director] Dennis Francois for giving me the opportunity, and President Roy Saigo and Matt Sayre for their continued support. The SOU and Ashland community has been amazing.

"Lastly, this could not have been possible without the tremendous student-athletes that I have had the privilege to coach. I am most proud of all the academic and professional accomplishments of our past and current players. From the first day, they have represented SOU with integrity and passion. The future is bright and I'm excited to see the continued growth and next step of the Raider women's basketball program."

Portland State went 4-25 last season. Head coach Sherri Murrell was relieved of her duties with five games remaining, wrapping up with a record of 121-119 in eight years at the helm.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top