Andy Kennedy on hot seat as Huggins’ replacement (Columbus Dispatch article)

[Keith Wedinger]

This article appeared on the front page of the Columbus Dispatch sports
section today.

Andy Kennedy on hot seat as Huggins' replacement

CINCINNATI — Eric Hicks noticed the silence when he and his Cincinnati
Bearcats teammates took the floor for their first exhibition game of the
season. Not only from the stands of Fifth Third Arena, which were only
half-filled, but from the sideline.

"Nobody was getting cussed out or yelled at," Hicks said with a smile.
"Everybody noticed that."

Interim coach Andy Kennedy is more laid back than his predecessor, Bob
Huggins, who was forced out in late August by university president Nancy
Zimpher in an attempt to polish the program's image.

But while Kennedy's demeanor during the exhibition opener against Division
II Hillsdale was surely to Zimpher's liking, Kennedy's lack of experience
has raised concerns about the program as it jumps from Conference USA to the
Big East.

Huggins resigned Aug. 24 as the winningest coach in school history; no other
coach has half as many wins as his 399. He led the Bearcats to the NCAA
Tournament the past 14 seasons, after they went 15 years without an
appearance. His teams spent 15 weeks ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press
poll, won a conference regularseason or tournament title every season from
1992 to 2004 and sent 11 players to the NBA. He turned a struggling
mid-major into a national power.

Kennedy, meanwhile, has spent 10 seasons as an assistant coach, four at
Cincinnati under Huggins. His first game as a head coach was the exhibition
win over Hillsdale. His first regular-season game as head coach will be
Saturday against Murray State.

So he was not surprised to see the Bearcats picked ninth of 16 teams in a
preseason vote of Big East coaches.

"I understand the expectations and fears," Kennedy said. "Those are all
based on me. They're based on me having never been a head coach.

"Certainly there are easier ways to break into this business. . . . But none
of us can control that. Now we're forced to deal with it, and that's what we
intend to do."

Kennedy said he sought Huggins' blessing before accepting the job as interim
coach. Upon taking the job, he sought out his seniors. The message: "We're
all vested in this equally."

"They're going to be judged like I am," Kennedy said. "They're going to be
remembered as the first team that went into the Big East, and how did they
do?"

Kennedy credited the five seniors — Hicks, Armein Kirkland, Chadd Moore,
James White and Jihad Muhammad — for maintaining their focus at a time when
doubt and self-pity could have taken over.

It helps that he has a history with them, having recruited them to
Cincinnati. Hicks, Kirkland and Moore were part of Kennedy's first
recruiting class as a UC assistant.

"I don't even call him a new coach, because he's been here as long as we've
been here," Moore said. "It's nothing new to us. It's going to be different,
just because you don't have Huggs on the sidelines with his experience, but
I think coach Kennedy will do very well. He's got everybody's attention."

Some fans and boosters, however, have not been as quick to turn the page.
Many remain upset about Huggins' ouster, believing he was unfairly punished
for his off-court transgressions, as well as those of some of his players
and coaches. One athletics department official said the backlash has even
affected attendance at football games.

For their part, Kennedy and the players said they are not concerned about
the crowds.

"You hear a lot around town," Moore said, "but as soon as they see we're the
same old Bearcats, they'll come back. They'll fill it up."

Kirkland said, "It's definitely something we embrace. We look forward to
proving everybody wrong."
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Keith Wedinger
Bearcatnews.com <http://Bearcatnews.com>
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