Reaction to the Hiring of Billy Kennedy at Texas A&M
By Blake Lovell
There’s another Billy coming to the Big 12, as Billy Kennedy officially became the new head coach of Texas A&M yesterday evening.
He replaces Mark Turgeon, who recently left to accept the opening at Maryland.
Personally, I love this move by A&M. Kennedy was fantastic at Murray State, and even though Big 12 basketball is a different animal recruiting-wise than OVC basketball, he’s still proven that he knows how to bring in talent and win a whole lot of games in the process.
The highlight of Kennedy’s career with the Racers had to be the last-second victory over Vanderbilt in the first round of 2010 NCAA Tournament, before losing to eventual national runner-up Butler in the second round.
I would put that buzzer-beater video on here, but as a Vandy fan, that’s simply not gonna happen.
But Kennedy has a new home now, and there’s reaction all across the information superhighway on Bill Byrne‘s decision to go with Kennedy. What do people think of this hire? Good or bad?
Well, here’s some links to the reaction:
ESPN.com’s Pat Forde thinks that Kennedy will find plenty of success in College Station.
David Harris of the SportsDayDFW.com keeps it simple. The expectations for the new coach? Just win.
This particular piece was written on Thursday by Buck Harvey, when the speculation began. Great thoughts on Kennedy.
As for the A&M fans? Here’s a small sample over at I Am the 12th Man.
And what about Murray State fans? Lots of thoughts from The Racer Nation on Kennedy’s exit.
Oh, and of course, we might as well direct you to our earlier post that talked about the best coaching hire in college basketball this off-season. Is it Kennedy? You decide.
NEW LINK: And here’s a much bigger sample from the hardcore Aggie hoops fans over at TexAgs.com.
What’s your reaction to the hire? A step up from Turgeon? Or will Kennedy struggle?
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