Pace Men’s Basketball Coach Pat Kennedy Elected to New Rochelle Sports Hall of Fame

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y.- Pace University Men’s Basketball Head Coach Pat Kennedy has been elected into the New Rochelle Sports Hall of Fame. The event will be held Thursday, October 24 starting at 6:00 pm at the Davenport Beach and Tennis Club in New Rochelle. Coach Kennedy joined the Pace Men’s Basketball staff in May of this year and is entering his first season as Head Coach of the Setters.

Kennedy returns to Westchester County after he began his coaching career with the Iona Gaels in 1978 as an assistant under legendary coach Jim Valvano. He was promoted to head coach at Iona in 1980 and he guided the Gaels to back-to-back trips to the NCAA Division I Tournament in 1984 and 1985. He posted four 20-win seasons in six years and earned Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Coach of the Year honors in 1982. He finished his career at Iona with 124 wins, a .674 winning percentage, and won three MAAC Championships.

Coach Kennedy on his induction, “New Rochelle has always held a special place in my heart.  It is a deep honor to be selected into their sports Hall of Fame and get a chance to experience this moment with family and such great friends.”

Kennedy coached for 31 consecutive years as a Division I Head Coach with stops at Iona College, Florida State University, DePaul University, University of Montana and Towson University. He has accumulated 487 wins during his 31-year career with eight NCAA Tournament appearances. While at Florida State, he guided the Seminoles to back-to-back 19-win seasons in his first two years at the helm and an NCAA Tournament appearance in year two. He went on to post five 20-win seasons in his 11 years with his best season coming in 1992-93 as the Seminoles finished with a 25-11 record. The 1992-93 team advanced to the Elite 8 in 1992-93 as the #3 seed in the Southeast Region. He was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Coach of the Year in 1992 following a 21-10 season as his team advanced to the Sweet 16. Kennedy was a two-time National Association of Basketball Coaches District Coach of the Year in 1992 and in 1993.

The Setters open the 2013-14 season on the road at the LIU Post Tournament on Saturday, November 9 and Sunday, November 10. Pace takes on host LIU Post on Saturday at 4:30 pm and faces Dowling on Sunday at 12:00 pm. The Setters open their home schedule on Saturday, November 23 as they will host New Haven as part of a Northeast-10 Conference doubleheader starting at 3:30 pm.