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Mike Kennedy
Katherine Martin

Rising Phoenix by Max Wallace

A Flashy 1,500: A Journey Through Coach Kennedy’s Tenure

ELON, N.C. On Sept. 12, 1996, Mike Kennedy was named the 26th head coach of Elon baseball.

Fifteen-hundred games later, Kennedy still stands on the top step of the Elon dugout as the manager of the maroon and gold.

"Fifteen-hundred sounds like a lot," Kennedy said. "But when you love what you do, it doesn't feel like a lot." 

On Tuesday, Feb. 27, the Phoenix didn't just pick up a 6-3 midweek win over University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Kennedy also managed his 1,500th game as head coach of the maroon and gold. Kennedy said to pair the feat with the win was the team's way of congratulating him.

"I told them before the game I said, 'Hey guys, since you've made this a big deal, this is a big deal. Let's go out win this for the skipper,'" Kennedy said. 

The milestone adds another line on a lengthy resume for the 28th year skipper. Kennedy, who is the longest tenured coach in Elon's history, said the time has flown by. 

"I just feel blessed," Kennedy said. "I love coming to the park everyday. I have a great group of kids that I'm coaching right now, and they make it fun and enjoyable." 

The magical moments started early and often for Kennedy. In just his second season as head coach and only the second year Elon was classified as NCAA Division I, the Phoenix beat the then No. 1 team in the country in the Miami Hurricanes. Kennedy said that was the start of something special for the program. 

"That's probably one of the biggest wins we've had in terms of, hey, you know what, maybe we can do this." Kennedy said. "Maybe little-old Elon can do this."

The win over Miami was the first of 32 wins over ranked opponents for the maroon and gold in the last 28 years. Kennedy said wins like the one over Miami are more important than just the headline.   

"A lot of those types of games that we've been involved in and won have been special, for not only the group that did it, but the table they set for the program and the history that comes from that," Kennedy said.

In 2002, Kennedy and the Phoenix dethroned another No. 1 team, this time in the form of the Clemson Tigers. 

"I remember like it was yesterday. We brought our Friday night guy in to close on a Tuesday night and he went right through three, four or five and struck out three of the best hitters in the country," Kennedy said. "You don't forget stuff like that."

It was one of three top-25 opponents Elon beat that season, and was what propelled them to the school's first ever NCAA Tournament bid. Kennedy said to see the team's excitement and celebration to the bid was one of the most special moments he has ever been a part of.

"We were basically packing up our stuff getting ready to send everybody home in 2002 and our name got called up on the board, "Kennedy said. "It was really surreal. No lie, I'm getting chills right this minute."

Kennedy's teams have boasted some of the best offensive feats in Elon history. He's been a part of the most runs scored in a game – 29 versus instate rival Appalachian State in 2005 – as well as the most runs scored at Latham Park – set just recently when the Phoenix scored 27 against NJIT this season. However, when it comes to offensive firepower, it was no surprise that the 2009 team which went 40-20 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament jumped out to the longtime head coach.

"That team will always be special. We led the country in home runs, and it was a terrific team," Kennedy said. "It was probably the best team I've coached here offensively."

The team's success allowed Kennedy to claim his third conference coach of the year honor. Ten years later in 2019, he picked up his fifth in his time at Elon, only this time in large part from the success on the rubber. The Phoenix dominated conference play thanks to an exceptional pitching staff led by now major leaguer George Kirby. In total, three additional players from the 2019 team would be selected in that year's MLB draft – Kyle Brnovich, Ty Adcock and Cam Devanney. Elon coasted to a 19-5 conference record and posted the lowest ERA in conference play. 

Throughout all the achievements, players coached and seasons played, Kennedy said it would never have been possible without the people that have made up the Elon coaching staff and all of the players during his tenure.

"You win some and you lose some," Kennedy said. "But the kids that I've been able to coach make it special."

Over 10,000 days have come and gone since Kennedy was named coach of the Phoenix, and with win 850 and a 30th season as head coach on the horizon, it's just a matter of time before the next chapter for Kennedy is inscribed in the history books.
 
'Rising Phoenix' is a new student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department's various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on Twitter (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Jacob Kisamore at jkisamore@elon.edu.
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