Drury University Athletics

Kevin Kennedy will enter his sixth year as an assistant softball coach for Drury University in 2023 and his 18th season as an assistant coach.


Last year, Kennedy helped guide the Panthers to their first-ever NCAA-II Tournament appearance and a program record 37 wins. Drury reached the second round of the national tournament, went 21-7 in the GLVC, and finished third in the league standings matching the team’s best finish when the conference has competed as a single division.
 

In 2021, Drury went 26-16 record, and 19-9 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, and a third-place finish in the league. Drury also went on to win their opening round game in the GLVC Tournament and reached the conference semifinals for the first time.
 
In 2019, Kennedy helped the Panthers their first-ever postseason wins as Drury won two games in the GLVC tournament and their 36 wins matched a program record. 

In two years, he has coached 12 all-conference performers, four All-Midwest Region selections, and the program's first All-American as Kristina Bettis was the GLVC Pitcher of the Year, the Midwest Region Pitcher of the Year, and won All-American honors in 2022. The Panthers have going 109-70 since Kennedy came to Drury.
 
Kennedy was an assistant coach at LSU-Alexandria in 2016 and 2017 helping the Generals to a 99-22 record through those two seasons in addition to two NAIA national tournament appearances and a third place finish nationally in 2017. In addition to his coaching duties with the Generals, Kennedy was a member of the faculty at University Academy of Central Louisiana teaching United States history and Western Civilizations classes.
 
He was previously at Evangel University in Springfield, Missouri and served the athletics department in a variety of roles for more than 16 years that included time as an assistant softball coach, sports information director, game operations director and coordinator of the campus' Fellowship of Christian Athletes affiliation.

As an assistant softball coach for the Crusaders from 2000 to 2009, he was a part of seven Heart of America conference championships, nine appearances in NAIA Region V tournaments and the school’s 2006 NAIA World Series appearance. Kennedy worked with slap hitters, outfielders and handled a variety of operational duties for the softball program. 
 
In addition to coaching at Evangel, Kennedy was on the coaching staff for a collegiate all-star team that played against the 2004 USA Olympic Softball Team as part of Team USA’s exhibition tour prior to the Olympic Games.
 
Kennedy also teamed with Breaux on Evangel softball camps that featured instruction from USA Olympic players Crystl Bustos and Caitlin Lowe. He also provided private hitting lessons to softball middle school and high school players with several advancing to the collegiate level including NCAA Division I programs.
 
From 2009 to 2015, Kennedy was Evangel University’s sports information director. He oversaw operations of Evangel home athletic events and facilities, produced team publications and worked with the NAIA’s sports information staff for five years at the NAIA-I men’s basketball national championship tournament in Kansas City. Kennedy helped develop the university’s first website dedicated to athletics in 2014 and played a key role in expanding the school’s online sports broadcast coverage. He served as the NAIA liaison and site administrator for the Opening Round of NAIA National Volleyball Championship hosted by Evangel in 2015.
 
Kennedy graduated from Evangel University in 2003 with a degree in History. Originally from San Diego, California, he graduated from Grossmont High School and currently resides in Springfield.