Lynn Kennedy is in his fourth season at the helm of the Cowgirl program where he led McNeese to its most wins (13) and highest conference finish (4th) during the 2021-22 season. The 13 wins is the most since the 2016-17 season and the conference finish is the highest since the 2015-16 season.
In his first season (2021-22), Kennedy produced the league's Freshman of the Year in Kaili Chamberlin, only the third McNeese player to earn the honor in program history.
In his second season (2022-23), a season where the Cowgirls struggled with injuries throughout the season, McNeese posted a 12-19 overall record and an 8-10 conference record, finishing in sixth place. The Cowgirls advanced to the Southland Conference Tournament quaterfinals where they were eliminated by Lamar in overtime.
Last season (2023-24), the Cowgirls posted a 6-25 overall, averaged 65.2 ppg., which ranked the Cowgirls third in the league. The Cowgirls also ranked fourth in the SLC in three-point field goal percent (28.7), free throw percent (72.2), assists (12.10 apg.).
Kennedy, who in a short amount of time turned a 4-win Portland State program into a Big Sky Conference champion and NCAA Tournament qualifier, was named the ninth McNeese Cowgirls basketball head coach on March 30, 2021.
Kennedy spent six seasons at Portland State where he won over 340 games in his career, ranked as high as No. 8 in the ESPN Mid-Major Top 25 poll, coached 20 Big Sky Conference All-Academic selections, set a school record with 25 wins in the 2018-19 season while winning the regular season and conference tournament, qualified for the league tournament the last four years including semifinal appearances in 2016-17 and 2017-18 while winning it in 2018-19, and has coached nine all-conference selections and five players who earned league top awards.
Kennedy arrived at Portland State with 14 years of experience as a collegiate head coach and more than 20 years coaching experience overall. In 10 seasons, he led the Southern Oregon women’s basketball program to outstanding success. The Raiders went 27-5 in his final 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.
Kennedy’s Raider program had six 20-win seasons, including each of his last three seasons at the school. Kennedy’s players earned 22 All-Conference honors, four All-American honors, and eight Academic All-American honors.
In 2014-15, Southern Oregon led the Cascade Collegiate Conference in eight statistical categories, including scoring, field goal percentage, three-point percentage, and rebounding.
The Southern Oregon Raiders were 4-25 the year before Kennedy took over the women’s basketball program. His first season they won 12 games, followed by 18 in 2006-07, and then a school-record 29-5 mark in 2007-08.
As the head coach at NCAA II New Mexico Highlands from 2002-05, Kennedy took a team that won only four games the season before his arrival and within three seasons led it to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Western Division title.
Kennedy had previous Division I 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.
Kennedy’s first head coaching position was at his alma mater, Northwest University, where he directed the Kirkland, Wash., team to the 1998-99 National Christian College Athletic Association West Regional tournament title and to the highest national tournament finish in school history (sixth).
His coaching career began in 1995 as an assistant at Northwest University in Kirkland, Wash. He was the head coach for one season (1998-99) before moving on to Eastern Washington.
Kennedy, a native of Eugene, Ore., prepped at Cascade High School in Everett, Wash., and then played collegiately at Northwest Christian College and Northwest University.
Lynn and his wife, Amy, have two sons, Graycen and Parker.
McNEESE HIGHLIGHTS
2023-24
• Ranked in the Top 5 in the SLC in scoring, three-point field goal, free throw percent, and assists
2022-23
• 12 wins
• SLC Tournament quarterfinals
• One SLC All-Academic
2021-22
• Most wins (13) since the 2016-17 season
• Most conference wins (8) since 2017-18 season
• Highest conference finish (4th) since the 2015-16 season
• SLC "Freshman of the Year (Kaili Chamberlin)
• Louisiana "Freshman of the Year (Kaili Chamberlin)
• One All-SLC first team selection (Kaili Chamberlin)
• One All-SLC third team selection (Desirae Hansen)
• One All-Louisiana third team selection (Kaili Chamberlin)
Portland State Highlights:
• Average team GPA 3.40
• Won Big Sky tournament in fourth season as head coach in 2018-19 (only second Big Sky tournament title in program history)
• Led the Vikings to the NCAA tournament in 2018-19, only the program’s second appearance in the tournament
• Set Big Sky era program record with 25 wins in 2018-19
• 8-4 at the Big Sky Tournament (Won tournament in 2018-19, Made semifinals in 2016-17, 2017-18)
• 20 Academic All-Big Sky honorees
• Ranked as high as #8 ESPNW Mid-Major Poll (Dec. 11, 2018)
• Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year (Courtney West in 2018-19)
• Big Sky Co-Top Reserve (Desirae Hansen in 2018-19)
• Big Sky Tournament MVP (Ashley Bolston in 2018-19)
• Big Sky Newcomer of the Year (Ashley Bolston in 2016-17)
• Big Sky Freshman of the Year (Kylie Jimenez in 2017-18)
• 1 All-Big Sky first-team selection (Sidney Rielly in 2018-19)
• 3 All-Big Sky second-team selections
• 6 All-Big Sky third-team selections
• 1 All-Big Sky honorable mention
• 4 Big Sky All-Tournament Team selections
• #1 Catch & Shoot Team in the NCAA (Synergy 2019-20)
• 12-win improvement from 2015-16 to 2016-17
• NCAA Most Improved Field Goal Percentage (.450 in 2016-17 from .358 in 2015-16)
• Set single-season program record for three-pointers made (261 in 2019-20)
• Set Division I-era program records for blocked shots (174 in 2018-19) and rebounds per game (42.5 in 2015-16)
• Set Big Sky-era program records for three-point field goal percentage (.373 in 2019-20), field goal percentage (.450 in 2016-17), assists (569 in 2018-19) and rebounds (1,289 in 2018-19)
• Team completed at least 10 volunteer hours/player – 160 hours after winter term: Pink Game, New Avenues of Youth, PSU WBB Youth Basketball Clinics and Autograph signing, Walk to Defeat ALS, Viking Rally, PSU WBB Kid’s Game Day, PSU Bring Your Kid to Work Day, Campus Clean-Up.
• Set PSU record for home attendance in one game (Tennessee, Dec. 21, 2019)
Southern Oregon Highlights:
• Three NAIA National Tournament appearances
• Team GPA 3.2
• Eight Academic All-Americans
• 208 wins in 10 years at SOU – 2nd in all-time wins (66% winning percentage)
• 25-8 during the 2013-14 season. Broke conference and school records for scoring in a season. CCC Championship game.
• 2012-13 season – 22-10 record
• 2009-10 season – finished with 20 wins and ranked as high as #9 in the nation
• Finished the 2008-09 season ranked #23 in the nation with a 25-7 record
• 2007-08 Cascade Conference Champions, ranked 18th in the final NAIA poll and finished the season 29-5, breaking the school record for most wins
• Received 2007-08 Cascade Conference Coach of the Year
• Completed the 2007-08 home schedule undefeated at 16-0
• Nationally ranked 3rd (2012-13), 5th (2007-08) and 9th (2008-09) in scoring offense; 2nd in FG % (2012-13); 1st (2012-13) in defensive rebounds; 5th (2012-13), 8th (2008-09), 2nd (2009-10) and 9th (2011-12) in overall rebounding
• Four NAIA All-Americans (2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2012-13)
• Recruited two CCC Players of the Year and fifteen additional CCC All-Conference players
New Mexico Highlands Highlights:
• 2004-05 RMAC West Division Champions
• Ranked #9 in the nation for Most Improved Teams (NCAA II)
• Seeded #2 in the Wells Fargo Shootout and advanced to the RMAC semi-finals
• One game away from the NCAA National Tournament
• Ranked #38 in the nation in scoring offense
