TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Pat Kennedy coached the Florida State men's basketball program for eleven seasons. He's coming back to the Big Bend over two decades later, as on Monday night, Jefferson County Schools approved hiring Kennedy as their next boys basketball coach and athletic director at Jefferson County K-12.
Jefferson County principal Jackie Pons said Kennedy will also teach, with Pons joking that Kennedy told him to not take it easy on him and to keep him busy. Pons said it didn't take much convincing for Kennedy to come back to the Big Bend. He said Kennedy was looking for something to do, and he wanted to give something back to the community.
"He called me and said I was interested and wanted to move back to Tallahassee, and I said oh man what an opportunity for the Jefferson community," said Pons. "I think sometimes in life, the older we get, we decide we want to give something back. He had watched what I was doing here as far as taking over the school that was one of the lowest performing schools in the state, he's proud of what we're doing here and wanted to be part of it."
Kennedy led the Seminoles to five NCAA Tournament and two NIT appearances in his time at Florida State. The program advanced to the Elite Eight of the 1993 tournament.
Kennedy's start date is set for July 1st.
