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HC ANDY KENNEDY HEAD COACH Ninth Season UAB, 1991 Andy Kennedy preaches perseverance. When Kennedy returned to his home state in March 2006 to take over as head basketball coach at Ole Miss, he was admittedly facing a formidable task. Despite some notable spurts of success in the Rebels hoops history (the 1981 SEC Tournament Championship and 2001 NCAA Sweet Sixteen berth come to mind), it was a program with only seven 20-win seasons and nine postseason victories in its nearly 100 years of existence. In the eight years since his arrival, Kennedy has averaged more than 21 wins a season, led the Rebels to four-straight 20-plus win seasons and seven-straight winning seasons, and has won 25 total games against SEC teams over the last two season, which is third in the league trailing only Florida and Kentucky. The all-time winningest coach in school history with 171 wins, Kennedy has coached Ole Miss all-time leader in rebounding (Murphy Holloway), 3-pointers (Chris Warren) and blocked shots (Reginald Buckner). In fact, the Louisville native is just the fifth coach in SEC history to guide his teams to 20-plus wins in six of his first seven seasons. The Kennedy-led Rebels have also claimed a pair of SEC Western Division Titles (2007, 2010) and made the first two NIT Final Four appearances in school history (2008, 2010). Kennedy has the third-most wins in SEC history by a coach in his first eight years in the league at one school, trailing only Rick Pitino (219) and Joe B. Hall (183). The two-time SEC Coach of the Year has produced 14 All-SEC selections at Ole Miss, which ranks third in the league over the last eight years behind just Kentucky and Florida. Kennedy gained immediate success in his first six seasons in Oxford with five 20-win campaigns and six postseason wins, including a pair of NIT Final Four appearances. However, as all the success mounted, one goal remained just out of reach - an NCAA Tournament berth. In 2013, all of that perseverance paid off in a huge way for the Rebels, as Kennedy led Ole Miss to its second SEC Tournament title, a school record-tying 27 wins and the first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2002 en route to SEC Coach of the Year honors. For me personally, our late-season run taught me the lesson that I try to teach my own children as well as the guys on our team, that is, perseverance is valuable, said Kennedy after the Rebels knocked off Florida for the SEC Tournament title. I try to preach perseverance, staying the course, but it s hard to live it. I am so very proud that this team got to experience it. Kennedy and the Rebels marched through the regular season with a school record-tying 12 league victories, including a school-best 6-0 start en route to a second-place finish in the regular season, before sweeping through the SEC Tournament, capped by a victory over Billy Donovan s top-seeded Gators in the title game. Ole Miss earned a No. 12 seed in the NCAA Tournament and pulled off the upset in the second round by knocking off No. 5 seed Wisconsin, making Kennedy just the second coach in school history to win an NCAA Tournament game. The Rebels 15 SEC victories (12 regular season and three SEC Tournament) also marked a school record. Along with wins and postseason appearances, Kennedy has brought a renewed passion for Ole Miss Hoops founded on an exciting brand of full-court, fast-paced action and lots of twine being tickled. Since Kennedy arrived, the Rebels have set season records in almost every offensive statistical category and several defensive ones, as well. Last season, the Rebels led the SEC in scoring for the first time in school history at just under 80 points per game. Tad Smith Coliseum has seen both season and single-game attendance records shattered including a school record seven-straight sellouts in 2012-13 and a season average of 7,303 fans per game last year. The Rebels pursuit of championships is largely based on a keen eye for talent and the tireless recruiting efforts of Kennedy and his staff. Each year, they have added to the team s talent level and managed to reel in some of the most highly rated prep players in school history. The staff has brought in 12 players who were ranked among the nation s top 100 high school prospects, including 2010 NBA draft selection Terrico White. Add diamond-in-the-rough Chris Warren to that mix, and it s quite an impressive list. With the completion of the state-of-the-art Tuohy Basketball Center in January 2010 and plans for a brand new arena in the next two seasons, there has never been more potential for Ole Miss Hoops to explode into the national spotlight. Kennedy has gotten the Rebels into the national rankings several times already, and now he s ready for them to stay. Kennedy wasted no time putting Ole Miss back on the map when he arrived. In his debut season of 2006-07, he guided an unheralded Rebel squad to 21 wins, a Southeastern Conference Western Division title and a second-round appearance in the National Invitation Tournament en route to 2007 SEC Coach of the Year honors. After breaking the string of four consecutive losing seasons, the internal expectations for Kennedy s team were rising, despite the fact that most media experts again picked the Rebels to dwell in the division cellar in 2007-08. 28
Kennedy would be counting on three freshmen and a pair of inexperienced sophomores to take over a backcourt that lost all three senior starters from the year before. After Ole Miss broke out of the gates with a blazing 13-0 start and a No. 15 national ranking, folks around the country started to take notice. In the end, Kennedy took his second Rebel squad to 24 wins, the second-most in school history, and the program s first-ever trip to the NIT Final Four at New York s Madison Square Garden. The Rebels 45 victories and back-to-back 20-win campaigns were both program firsts for a head coach in his first two seasons. In fact, Kennedy was just the fourth coach in SEC history with 45 or more wins in his first two years, a list which includes Tubby Smith (63 wins at Kentucky, 45 at Georgia), Eddie Sutton (50 at UK) and Bruce Pearl (46 at Tennessee). Injuries riddled the Ole Miss lineup in 2008-09, but the Rebels still managed to register a winning 16-15 record and a 7-9 mark in SEC play. Despite the fact that it was the first time in four seasons as a head coach that Kennedy had not led his team to 20 wins or postseason play, the Louisville, Miss., native was named a finalist for the Clair Bee National Coach of the Year award and tabbed by CollegeInsider.com as the SEC Coach of the Year. Some think it was the best coaching job yet by the rising star, whose résumé was already stock-piled with accolades. The short-handed Rebels upended nationally ranked Kentucky and SEC East champ Tennessee at home and would-be tourney champ Mississippi State on the road, while Terrico White flourished as the league s freshman of the year after Kennedy moved him to the starting point guard role. In 2009-10, the Rebels were again among the league s elite squads as they claimed their second division title under Kennedy. They matched the 2007-08 team with a 24-11 record. Ranked in the polls for nine weeks, Ole Miss just missed out on an NCAA Tournament berth before storming through the first three rounds of the NIT with wins over Troy, Memphis and Texas Tech en route to an NIT Final Four trip to New York for the second time in three years. Led by sensational senior scorers Chris Warren and Zach Graham, the 2010-11 Rebels again reached the 20-win plateau and a postseason berth. Warren garnered first-team All-SEC distinction, ranking second in the league with 19.1 points per game and leading the NCAA in free-throw shooting with an Ole Miss and SEC record percentage of 92.8. He led the way for an Ole Miss team that finished 20-14 and made the first round of the NIT. Ole Miss again cracked 20 wins with another 20-14 campaign in 2011-12, making another appearance in the NIT. On the back of All-SEC senior Terrance Henry, the team finished 8-8 in league play and advanced to the SEC Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2007. At 45 years old, Kennedy has established himself as one of the rising stars in coaching. As Ole Miss continues to rise to the elite level of college basketball, Magnolia state fans can celebrate the fact that the Rebels are led by one of their very own. THE ROAD TO OXFORD It was a long and winding road for Kennedy to return to his home state, but he was overjoyed when he was announced as the 20th head men s basketball coach in the history of the University of the kennedy file CAREER RECORD AS A HEAD COACH: 202-114 (.634 winning pct. / 8 Seasons) RECORD AS OLE MISS HEAD COACH: 171-101 (.636 winning pct. / 7 Seasons) COACHING HONORS 2013 SEC Coach of the Year (NBCSports.com) 2009 Clair Bee National Coach of the Year Finalist 2007 SEC Coach of the Year (Associated Press) 2006 BIG EAST Coach of the Year (CBS Sportsline, New York Post) 2004 One of nation s Top 10 Assistant Coaches (Athlon) 2004 One of nation s Top 20 Recruiters (Rivals.com) COACHING CAREER Season School Position Record/Postseason 1994-95 So. Alabama Assistant Coach 8-15 1996-97 UAB Assistant Coach 18-14/NIT 1997-98 UAB Assistant Coach 21-12/NIT 1998-99 UAB Assistant Coach 20-12/NCAA 1999-00 UAB Assistant Coach 14-14 2000-01 UAB Assistant Coach 17-14 2001-02 Cincinnati Asst. Coach/Recruiting Coordinator 31-4/NCAA 2002-03 Cincinnati Asst. Coach/Recruiting Coordinator 17-12/NCAA 2003-04 Cincinnati Asst. Coach/Recruiting Coordinator 25-7/NCAA 2004-05 Cincinnati Assoc. Head Coach/Recruiting Coord. 25-8/NCAA 2005-06 Cincinnati Interim Head Coach 21-13/NIT Quarters 2006-07 Ole Miss Head Coach 21-13/NIT 2nd Rd 2007-08 Ole Miss Head Coach 24-11/NIT Semi 2008-09 Ole Miss Head Coach 16-15 2009-10 Ole Miss Head Coach 24-11/NIT Semi 2010-11 Ole Miss Head Coach 20-14/NIT 1st Rd 2011-12 Ole Miss Head Coach 20-14/NIT 1st Rd 2012-13 Ole Miss Head Coach 27-9/NCAA 3rd Rd 2013-14 Ole Miss Head Coach 19-14 PLAYING CAREER 1982-84 Two-time All-State selection at Winston Academy (Louisville, Miss.) 1983 State Champions 1984-86 Two-time All-State selection at Louisville HS 1986 Parade All-American, Mississippi Player of the Year 1986-87 Freshman at North Carolina State, coached by Jim Valvano 1987 ACC Tournament Champions 1988-91 Three-year letterman at UAB, coached by Gene Bartow 1991 Honorable Mention All-America Selection (Basketball Times) Two-time All-Sun Belt Conference (1990,1991) School s 2nd all-time leading scorer (1,787 points) Still holds more than 15 school records, including season average of 21.8 ppg 1990 Sun Belt Conference Champions, NCAA Tournament 1989 NIT Final Four 1991-94 Played professionally in the NBA (Charlotte) and in Greece, Spain, Holland and Puerto Rico Mississippi on March 24, 2006. Who says you can t come home? Kennedy said at his hiring press EDUCATION: Bachelor of Arts in History, UAB 1991 29
conference in C.M. Tad Smith Coliseum. This is like a homecoming for me. I know that there have been a lot of great players and a lot of great moments in here, and it is my charge, my duty to bring that back. I assure you that will happen. Kennedy arrived in Oxford after a successful season, albeit amid less than ideal circumstances, as the interim head coach at the University of Cincinnati. His accomplishments as an assistant with the Bearcats were notable, so when a year-long struggle between Bob Huggins and UC ended on August 24, 2005, and the four-time National Coach of the Year honoree resigned his post, Kennedy was granted the opportunity to step into those large shoes and make a major career move. Two days later, Kennedy was tapped with the challenge of steadying a program that had two national championships in its past and a streak of 14 consecutive NCAA Tournaments. The Bearcats were also less than three months away from their first season of competition in one of the nation s strongest conferences, the Big East. Kennedy s already daunting task became even more difficult with the departure of one incoming recruit, two returning veterans and two promising freshmen, plus the loss of a key three-year starter to a mid-season injury, not to mention playing the fifth-rated schedule in the nation. Despite all the adversity, Kennedy s Bearcats jumped out to a 13-2 start with road wins over Vanderbilt, Marquette, Dayton and eventual Final Four club LSU. While playing only eight scholarship players, Cincinnati cracked the AP Top-25 ranking, and Kennedy was named Mid-Season National Coach of the Year by CBS Sportsline. Cincinnati played itself to the cusp of an NCAA Tournament appearance. Kennedy s club finished the regular season with an 8-8 league mark and had its bubble burst on a controversial Syracuse three-pointer in the first round of the Big East tournament. Kennedy s Cats eventually found themselves in the National Invitation Tournament. Despite disappointingly being left home from the Dance, they competed with the same passion they had the entire season and reached the NIT quarterfinals. When the dust finally settled on Cincinnati s 2005-06 campaign, Kennedy had directed the Bearcats to a 21-13 record, defeated 12 foes ranked in the top 100 of the RPI and played a schedule rated fifth-toughest in college hoops. National media praised what Kennedy had achieved under such difficult circumstances. The New York Post labeled him the Big East Coach of the Year, and at least one media outlet Minnesota-based GopherHole.com even named him their National Coach of the Year. Despite all of Kennedy s notoriety, Cincinnati administration remained unsure of its future coaching plans and kept the interim tag on his title. As the season drew to a close, Ole Miss head job became vacant, and then-chancellor Robert Khayat and former Athletics Director Pete Boone quickly looked north to the budding coaching star. With the permission of the UC brass, Kennedy spoke with Boone mere moments before setting foot on the court for the Bearcats NIT quarterfinal bout with South Carolina at Fifth Third Arena. Cincinnati had only a handful of scholarship players available and fell to the Gamecocks 65-62 with chants of Thank you Andy echoing through the Bearcat crowd as the final seconds ticked off the clock. A thousand fans remained in the coliseum to continue the chant during the postgame radio show. Meanwhile, Kennedy graciously accepted the opportunity to be head coach at the University of Mississippi shortly after the game, and in a whirlwind, he was flown to Oxford the following morning for a noon press conference. RISING UP THE RANKS Prior to becoming Cincinnati s interim head coach, Kennedy earned a reputation as one of the top assistants in the country during his first four years with the Bearcats, beginning in 2001. In fact, Athlon named him one of the nation s top 10 assistant coaches in 2004, the same year Rivals.com tabbed him as one of the top 20 recruiters in all of college basketball. As an assistant coach and the recruiting coordinator under Bob Huggins, Kennedy had the duty to help maintain Cincinnati s spectacular run of success and keep the UC talent pool stocked. In his first season, the Bearcats recorded the most wins in school history with a 31-4 mark and the program s first No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The squad also experienced success off the court by winning the C-USA Men s Basketball Team GPA Award. During Kennedy s first three years as the Bearcats recruiting coordinator, Cincinnati attracted three straight top-10 recruiting classes with the class of kennedy making his mark at ole miss The all-time winningest coach in Ole Miss history Two-time SEC Coach of the Year (2007, 2013) 2013 SEC Tournament Title 2013 NCAA Third Round Two SEC Western Division Titles (2007, 2010) Two NIT Final Four appearances (2008, 2010) Six postseason berths (2007, 2008, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013) Tied the school record with 27 wins in 2013. Six 20+ win seasons (2007-21, 2008-24, 2010-24, 2011-20, 2012-20, 2013-27) Ole Miss was the only team in the SEC recognized by the NCAA in 2011-12 season for being in the top-10 percent of teams in the men s basketball Academic Progress Rate. More postseason wins (8) than any coach in program history. Reached 100 wins faster than any coach in school history (158 games). First coach to lead Ole Miss to eight-straight winning seasons. Led Rebels to six 20-plus win season in first seven after and program recorded seven such seasons in first 95 years. Also, first coach to lead Ole Miss to four consectutive 20-win seasons. The Rebels have been nationally ranked a total of 18 weeks during Kennedy s tenure, rising as high as 14th. Has coached the school s all-time leading rebounder, shot blocker and 3-point FG shooter. Boasts the third-most wins in SEC history by a coach in his first eight years in the league with 171 trailing just Rick Pitino, Kentucky (219) and Joe B. Hall, Kentucky (183). The Rebels 25 total SEC wins the last two years in is third in the league trailing only Florida and Kentucky. Fifth coach in SEC history to guide his teams to 20+ wins in six of his first seven seasons. The others: Joe. B. Hall (Kentucky), Don DeVoe (Tennessee), Rick Pitino (Kentucky) and Tubby Smith (Kentucky). Fourth coach in SEC history with 45 or more wins in his first two seasons at a league school. The others: Tubby Smith (63 at Kentucky, 45 at Georgia), Eddie Sutton (50 at Kentucky) and Bruce Pearl (46 at Tennessee). Ole Miss season and single-game attendance records have been shattered. Ole Miss led the SEC in scoring (77.2) for the first time in school history in 2012-13. Ole Miss team statistical records in nearly every offensive category and some defensive categories have been established, as well as many individual records. Ole Miss is third in the SEC behind Florida and Kentucky for the most All- SEC selections in the last eight years (14). In 2007-08, Ole Miss set school records for longest winning streak and most wins to start a season. In 2006-07, Ole Miss won the most games (21) by a first-year Rebel head coach and received SEC Coach of the Year honors. 30
2002 rated fifth in the nation by Bob Gibbons of All Star Sports, the 2003 group finishing seventh by both PrepStars and FutureStars, and the 2004 class rated 10th by All Star Sports. Overall, Kennedy s four seasons as an assistant on the Cincinnati bench resulted in four straight NCAA Tournament appearances, two Conference USA regular-season championships and two C-USA Tournament titles. He was promoted to associate head coach in 2004. Andy has the total package from recruiting to game preparation to PR he s one of the great young guys in the business, said Huggins upon Kennedy s promotion. Years from now, people will see him on TV and remember he was once here. According to Kennedy, that total package is a direct result of his experience alongside Huggins. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work for Coach Huggins and the University of Cincinnati, he said. To be able to sit to the right hand of one of the best coaches in all of college basketball and see first-hand the inner-workings of a top-20 program was very educational. Kennedy began his coaching career as an assistant at the University of South Alabama in 1994. After a year, he took a shot in the commercial real estate business, but quickly realized coaching was his calling and returned to his alma mater where he had experienced much success as a player. Kennedy earned his coaching wings in his five seasons as an assistant at UAB under Murry Bartow, son of legendary coach Gene Bartow, who had mentored Kennedy as a player. Kennedy helped the Blazers compile a 90-66 record and make three postseason tournament appearances while on the UAB bench. The highlight of that tenure came in 1998-99 when the Blazers tied for the Conference USA regular-season title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament. ALL-STAR PLAYER Kennedy s prowess on the hardwood was evident early in his prep career. As a ninth-grader, he pumped in 28 points in a victorious state championship Kennedy was an outstanding player for legendary coach Gene Bartow at UAB. The 6-foot-7 forward was a two-time all-conference performer before moving on to the professional ranks. In just three seasons at UAB, he became the school s second all-time leading scorer with 1,787 points and still holds or shares more than 15 Blazer records. The Kennedy family (from L-to-R): Kimber, Meagan, Andy and Kaitlyn. game. Three years later, the Louisville High School senior was the state s top talent, receiving Parade All-America and 1986 Mississippi Player of the Year honors. Ole Miss pursued this native Blue Chipper for its own, but Kennedy s eyes were focused on a different place, much further away than the 100-mile drive north to Oxford. Growing up in Louisville, I spent the majority of my time trying to find a way out of small-town Mississippi, and I ve spent even more time as an adult trying to get back, he said. As a young player, I fell into the grass is always greener mentality, and for me that meant the ACC and North Carolina State. Jim Valvano s Wolfpack was a mere three years removed from its thrilling national championship season, and as a freshman, Kennedy helped the team claim the 1987 ACC Tournament title. After a year of playing for and learning from the legendary Valvano, the 6-foot-7 forward made another unexpected decision, transferring from NC State to UAB. The move took Kennedy from one highly successful coach in Valvano to another in Gene Bartow, whose teams had twice advanced to the Final Four. The move also took Kennedy s game to an even higher level. In just three seasons at UAB, he became the school s second all-time leading scorer with 1,787 points and an 18.8 career scoring average. The two-time all-conference performer still holds or shares more than 15 Blazer records, including most 3-point field goals (318), highest career 3-point percentage (.437), most 20-point games (43), most 30-point games (7) and the single-game scoring mark of 41 points. Kennedy, who completed his B.A. in history at UAB in 1991, continued his playing career after college, returning to Carolina to suit up for the NBA Charlotte Hornets. He later began a three-year professional stint abroad, playing in Greece, Holland, Spain and Puerto Rico. With his background under Valvano and Bartow, Kennedy seemed destined to enter the coaching ranks after his playing days were over. That end happened sooner than expected, as he sustained his second ACL tear and subsequent fifth and final knee operation while playing in Puerto Rico. 31
AC BILL ARMSTRONG ASSISTANT COACH Eighth Season UAB, 2001 Head coach Andy Kennedy promoted Bill Armstrong to assistant coach in April 2011 after Armstrong served the previous five seasons as Ole Miss Coordinator of Basketball Operations. Last season, Armstrong helped tutor guards Marshall Henderson and Jarvis Summers to All-SEC second teams honors, as Henderson ranked third in the nation with 4.3 3-pointers made per game and Summers was the only player in the SEC to rank in the top-10 in the league in scoring and top-five in both assists and field goal percentage. Armstrong and the Rebels broke through in 2012-13, as Ole Miss tied a school record with 27 wins, claimed the school s second SEC Tournament title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002. Armstrong also helped Henderson to the SEC Player of the Year honors and Summers rank second in the SEC in assist-to-turnover ratio. In his first season as an assistant, Armstrong helped lead the Rebels to 20 wins and an NIT bid. Working with the Rebel backcourt, he helped develop Summers into one of the SEC s top freshmen in 2011-12, as Summers ranked sixth among league rookies in scoring (10.4 ppg) and third in assists (3.4 apg). Armstrong s contributions have helped Ole Miss to an SEC Tournament title, six postseason berths and a pair of SEC West titles over the last seven seasons. Before his arrival in Oxford, Armstrong spent three years as an assistant coach at Birmingham-Southern. In his first season with the Panthers in 2003-04 - BSC s first season of full NCAA eligibility - Armstrong helped the team to a 20-7 record and a 12-4 mark in conference play, earning a share of the Big South regular-season championship. Birmingham-Southern posted a 19-9 finish in his final year. While at BSC, Armstrong assisted with all aspects of the program, including recruiting, scouting, on-floor coaching and handling the Panthers travel arrangements. A Birmingham native, Armstrong joined the BSC staff after serving as an assistant at Chipola Junior College in Marianna, Fla., where he helped lead the Indians to a 23-9 record and a second-place finish in the Panhandle Conference in 2002-03. While with CJC, Armstrong s primary responsibilities included recruiting, scouting, player development, academic counseling and camp coordinating. Prior to his stint at Chipola, Armstrong was a graduate assistant for UAB during the 2001-02 campaign under Murry Bartow. Armstrong graduated from UAB in 2001 with a degree in justice sciences. He was also the recipient of the Barbara Hallerman Scholarship for Leadership. A four-year letterman at UAB from 1998-2001, Armstrong played under Kennedy, who was then an assistant coach with the Blazers. He served as team captain as a senior and helped the Blazers reach the NCAA Tournament in 1999 and the NIT in 1998. Born November 18, 1977, Armstrong and his wife, Kenna, are the parents of four children. They have three daughters - Ella Michele, born July 18, 2003; Sara McKay, born June 23, 2005; and Amelia Grace, born April 27, 2011 - and two sons, James Walton (Bo), born July 4, 2008; and Ford, born Dec. 21, 2014. THE ARMSTRONG FILE PROFESSIONAL CAREER Season School Position 2002 UAB Graduate Assistant 2003 Chipola Junior College Assistant Coach 2004-06 Birmingham-Southern Assistant Coach 2007-11 Ole Miss Coordinator of Basketball Operations 2011-14 Ole Miss Assistant Coach PLAYING CAREER 1998-2001 Four-year letterman at UAB EDUCATION 2001 B.S. in Justice Sciences, UAB The Armstrong family (L to R): Ella, Sara, Kenna, Ford, Amelia, Bill and Bo. 32
AC TONY MADLOCK ASSISTANT COACH First Season Memphis, 1991 Tony Madlock, who boasts more than 15 years of collegiate coaching experience, is in his first season as an assistant coach with the Rebels. Madlock, who spent the last four seasons as a member of Tony Barbee s staff at Auburn, has also spent four seasons as an assistant at UTEP and nine seasons at Arkansas State. We are very excited to add Tony to our coaching staff, Ole Miss head coach Andy Kennedy said. His vast experience, starting as an outstanding player at Memphis, through his 17 years as an assistant at the Division-1 level, will allow him to bring a unique prospective to the players on our team. Tony carries an outstanding reputation as a tireless recruiter, who also does a great job as an on-court teacher. Everyone I talked to through this hiring process raved about his abilities. This past season at Auburn, Madlock helped coach Chris Denson to All-SEC second team honors, and he recruited three top-100 players to the Plains during his time with the Tigers. In his four years at UTEP, Madlock recruited 2010 C-USA Player of the Year, Randy Culpepper, and Arnett Moultrie, a 2009 C-USA All-Freshman Team selection. UTEP won the 2010 Conference USA Championship with a 26-7 overall record and a 15-1 league mark as the Miners advanced to the NCAA Tournament before losing to eventual NCAA runner-up Butler. He also coached Stefon Jackson, who is the all-time leading scorer in UTEP and Conference USA history, All-CUSA second-team selection Derrick Carracter, who was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in 2010, and C-USA All-Defensive Team member Julyan Stone. Madlock spent six of his nine years at Arkansas State as the assistant head coach prior to going to El Paso. He helped Arkansas State to the 1998 Sun Belt Conference regular season championship and the 1999 Sun Belt Conference tournament title, as he recruited six junior college All-Americans to THE MADLOCK FILE the school. He also recruited the only junior college player in Arkansas State history to score 1,000 points in two seasons. He coached four all-conference players and the Sun Belt Conference Newcomer of the Year. Madlock began his coaching career as an assistant and teacher at his alma mater, Melrose High School, in Memphis. The Golden Wildcats posted a 67-29 mark over the three seasons with Madlock on the staff, and Melrose was the 1997 state tournament runner-up with a 32-7 record. Madlock also starred at Melrose, receiving honorable mention All-America and first-team All-State honors as a point guard while lettering three years. Madlock earned a bachelor s degree in marketing from the University of Memphis in 1991 in 3.5 years. The Memphis, Tenn., native capped off a successful career at Memphis in helping the Tigers to the 1992 NCAA Tournament Elite Eight to go along with four-straight postseason appearances. A four-year letterman and three-year starter for Memphis from 1988-92, Madlock was a member of four postseason tournament teams for the Tigers, reaching the NCAA Tournament and NIT two times each. He still ranks among the school s all-time leaders for games played (128) and averaged in double figures as a junior and senior. Madlock played one year of professional basketball in South America prior to starting his coaching career. Born Feb. 17, 1970, Madlock is married to the former Stacie Bryant of Memphis. They have two children, a daughter, Kyndal, and a son, T.J. PROFESSIONAL CAREER Season School Position 1995-97 Melrose High School Head Coach 1997-05 Arkansas State Assistant Head Coach 2006-09 UTEP Assistant Coach 2010-13 Auburn Assistant Coach 2014- Ole Miss Assistant Coach PLAYING CAREER 1998-2001 Four-year letterman at UAB EDUCATION 1991 B.A. in Marketing, Memphis The Madlock family (L to R): T.J., Tony, Stacie and Kyndal 33
OP TODD ABERNETHY RECRUITING DEVELOPMENT/ ACTING ASSISTANT COACH Former Ole Miss hoops standout Todd Abernethy is in his first season as Coordinator of Recruiting Development for the Rebel basketball staff and is currently serving as an acting assistant coach. A three-time team captain and fan favorite for the Rebels from 2004-07, Abernethy returns to Oxford after serving as the Director of Basketball Operations and Video Coordinator at IUPUI last season. There, he assisted the Jaguars coaching staff with day-to-day operations, administrative functions and video coordination. I am very excited to announce that Todd Abernethy has returned to Ole Miss as a new member of my staff, Kennedy said. Todd was the starting point guard on my first team here and was instrumental in leading a team that had finished last in the division the year before to an SEC West title his senior season. His experience, knowledge and passion for basketball and for Ole Miss will show in the contributions he will make to our program. In his role with the Rebels, Abernethy will assist with on-campus recruiting, player development, academic support and former player outreach. Following his Ole Miss playing days, Abernethy began a six-year international professional career that included stops in the Netherlands, Estonia, Latvia, Poland and the Ukraine. In 2010, he helped his Tartu Rock squad to the Estonia National Championship, while later helping BK Ventspils to the Final 8 of the EuroChallenge in Latvia in 2012. He later founded the Todd Abernethy Basketball Camp, training the top high school players in Latvia. A Carmel, Indiana, native, Abernethy finished his Ole Miss career with First Season Ole Miss, 2007 1,036 points and ranks fourth in school history with 431 assists. He earned All-Southeastern Conference honors in 2006-07 and was voted the league s Sixth Man of the Year in 2004-05. A three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll member, he earned his degree in banking and finance in 2007 and was Ole Miss nominee for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Post Graduate Scholarship. Todd and his wife, Micah, a former Ole Miss cross country and track letterwinner, have two daughters, Ruthie and Maria. THE ABERNETHY FILE PROFESSIONAL CAREER Season School Position 2013 IUPUI Coordinator of Basketball Operations 2014 Ole Miss Coordinator of Recruiting Development PLAYING CAREER 2004-2007 Four-year letterman at Ole Miss EDUCATION 2007 B.A. in Banking and Finance, Ole Miss The Abernethy family (L to R): Maria, Tood, Ruthie and Micah. 34
OP JIMMY HARK BASKETBALL OPERATIONS Second Season Dayton, 2011 James Hark is in his second year back in Oxford and in his first season as the Director of Basketball Operations for the Ole Miss men s basketball program. He had previously served as the Coordinator of Video Services for the Rebels last season. Hark handles a variety of responsibilities within the program, including the coordination of team travel, overseeing all aspects of the Ole Miss Basketball Camps, acting as the liaison to compliance and academics, and assisting with non-conference scheduling and opponent scouting. Before arriving back to Ole Miss, Hark spent three months as Director of Basketball Operations at Indiana State. Hark spent two years as a Graduate Assistant Manager on Andy Kennedy s staff at Ole Miss from 2011-13. In those two years, Hark helped the Rebels to two postseason berths, including the 2013 SEC Tournament Championship and the Rebels first bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2002. Prior to coming to Oxford, Hark spent two years as a student manager at the University of Dayton, helping the Flyers to back-to-back NIT appearances and the 2010 NIT Championship. A graduate of St. Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio, Hark earned his bachelor of science degree in sports management from the University of Dayton in 2011, and completed his master s degree in business Administration from the University of Mississippi in 2014. Hark is the son of Jim and Helen Hark and has two sisters, Elizabeth and Brittany, and a brother, Tim. THE HARK FILE PROFESSIONAL CAREER Season School/Team Position 2009-11 Dayton 2011-13 Ole Miss Graduate Manager 2013 Indiana State Director of Basketball Operations 2013 Ole Miss Coordinator of Video Services 2014 Ole Miss Coordinator of Basketball Operations EDUCATION 2011 B.S. in Sports Management, Dayton 2014 M.B.A. in Business, Ole Miss 35
OP JON NEVOL VIDEO COORDINATOR SUPPORT STAFF First Season Ole Miss, 2012 Phillipe Lilavois Graduate Manager Geoffrey Martin Graduate Manager Hayden Sowers Jonathan Nevol is in his first year as the Coordinator of Video Services for the Ole Miss men s basketball program. Nevol oversees the team s video operations and maintains extensive video and information resources, utilizes in-house and opponent scouts, as well as motivational and highlight videos. Nevol returns to Ole Miss after spending the past four months as an assistant coach at Jones (Miss.) Junior College. Before that he spent two years as a graduate assistant on Andy Kennedy s staff at Ole Miss. In those two years, Nevol helped the Rebels to the 2013 SEC Tournament Championship and the Rebels first bid to the NCAA Tournament since 2002. Prior to becoming a graduate assistant, Nevol spent four years as a student manager at Ole Miss, helping the Rebels to three postseason appearances and the 2010 SEC Western Division Championship. A 2008 graduate of Water Valley High School in Water Valley, Mississippi, Nevol earned his bachelors of science in criminal justice from Ole Miss in 2012 and finished his masters in criminal justice from the University of Mississippi in May 2014. Nevol is the son of Wade and Sandra Woodard and has a younger sister, Kaitlynn. Bracken Ray Addison Hebert J.J. Eftick THE NEVOL FILE PROFESSIONAL CAREER Season School/Team Position 2009-12 Ole Miss 2013-14 Ole Miss Graduate Manager 2014 Jones Junior College Assistant Coach 2014 Ole Miss Coordinator of Video Services Donte Ferrell Charles Elliott Vic Meena EDUCATION 2012 B.S. in Criminal Justice, Ole Miss 2014 M.S. in Criminal Justice, Ole Miss Kara Hobson Senior Staff Assistant, Men s Basketball Clarke Holter Assistant Athletic Trainer Matt Turner Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach 36