Kennedy left St. Murray to coach Texas A & m

Billy Kennedy decided to leave the State of Murrary and become the next coach at Texas A & M.

"I think it is the ideal solution for Texas A & Mr. in talking to several people that I respect in NCAA, they mentioned Billy as an outstanding basketball coach but a better person," Sports Director Bill Byrne said in a statement of the school. "" "". He is a winner and his players play hard for him and they play an aggressive style of defence. It has proven it can recruit in the country, but I am waiting for him to do more advanced here in the State of Texas. ?

Kyle Terada / Billy Kennedy of PresswireMurray US State has accepted the head coaching job and will replace Mark Turgeon at Texas A & M.

Financial terms were not released, but a close source of one of the previous candidates said Sunday before the Aggies were prepared to offer their new coach 1.3 million to $ 1.5 million per year.

"I look forward to returning to Aggieland," Kennedy, a former assistant at A & M, said in a statement. "Even if I was there for little time, it I could say that aggieland is a special place.". Aggies have much pride and passion for their school and their sports programs. I watched with interest the recent success and the games of the NCAA tournament over the past six years. I look forward to meet the team and runs the work towards a seventh NCAA bid and even more profound tournament.

The 47-year old Kennedy is introduced on campus Monday.

Byrne and sports managing partner John Thornton met Kennedy early Saturday and then flew to Fargo, s.d., to meet in Northern Iowa, Ben Jacobson, but Jacobson chose to remain in place.

The Aggies had been debating between the two candidates to succeed Mark Turgeon, who was announced as head coach of Maryland last week, with Jacobson with an impressive interview, according to another source.

But links from Kennedy to Texas A & M and its force of recruitment in Texas and Louisiana, where he was a former coach of State, can influence the rental for Kennedy.

Assistant coach Scott Spinelli was candidate to the rescue, but he will now be in Maryland with Turgeon.

Seth Allen, a guard 6-foot-1 the school of Christian Fredericksburg (MD) in the class of 2012, was recruited by Spinelli and Turgeon at Texas A & M a month ago. But on Saturday, Allen is committed to Maryland as first recruit of the Turgeon.

Murray State won the title of the season regular Ohio Valley Conference in March with a record of 14-4 in the Kennedy administration. The OVC tournament No. 1 seed, the runners were upset by Tennessee Tech. Murray State and then played in the Missouri State in the first round of the NIT and lost on the road to finish 23-9.

In 2010, Murray State won 31 games (17-1 OVC) and struck off the coast of Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA tournament before losing to eventual national finalist Butler in the second round.

Kennedy took over for Mick Cronin in 2006 when Cronin went to Cincinnati. Kennedy has worked in various capacities, Southeast of Louisiana, New Orleans, Wyoming, Northwestern State (La.., Tulane, Texas A & M for a season, Creighton, Cal, Centennial and Miami, Florida prior to the Murray State.

Kennedy has coached at centenary and southeastern Louisiana and worked for Frank Haith at Miami, which is now in Missouri. Kennedy is Metairie (Louisiana), just outside New Orleans.