Dan Kenney

Title:	Director of Athletics
Email:	daniel.kenney@uncp.edu
Phone:	(910) 521-6560

In just more than 13 years, athletic director Dan Kenney has molded the athletic program at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke into a model program that has achieved a high level of success not only in the playing arena, but also in the classroom.

Since returning to UNCP in 1998 to replace the retiring Dr. Raymond B. Pennington, UNCP student-athletes have earned all-Peach Belt Conference accolades on 130 occasions, with 13 of those athletes being named the conference’s freshman of the year. Nationally, the Braves have been just as well represented, earning all-America honors 38 times, with another 134 making all-state, all-district or all-region listings.

Off the playing field, the Braves have earned presidential honor roll honors from the league an astounding 890 times since 1999, while also capturing four PBC Student-Athlete of the Year laurels. A total of 22 Braves have earned national academic honors under the leadership of Kenney, with another 11 being named to academic all-district or all-region squads. UNCP has seen a lion’s share of its athletes capture PBC Presidential Honor Roll laurels in Kenney’s tenure, including a school-record 122 honors following the 2009-10 academic year. Following the 2010-11 academic year, UNCP became just the second league institution to win back-to-back PBC President’s Academic Award accolades – an award which recognizes excellence in academics concerning all of an institution’s student-athletes.

The achievements have not just been limited to the individual level, however. Just a year after turning in a program-best 17-1-2 record, the men’s soccer team made an appearance in the 2004 NCAA Final Four, with the women’s basketball team capturing the 2004-05 PBC’s North Division title on the strength of an 18-10 campaign. Three years ago, the UNCP softball team dropped just one league game (17-1) en route to the conference's regular season title, as well as a berth into the NCAA postseason. In 2008, the women’s soccer team became the latest squad to burst onto the national stage, registering a 19-3-1 clip and an appearance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

This past season, however, proved to be a breakout year for UNCP athletics as the Braves sent five teams and six individuals to the NCAA postseason en route to turning in their best finish in both the Peach Belt Conference Commissioner’s Cup and Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup standings. Fueled by top-three league finishes in five different sports, the Braves settled into fifth place in the league competition and 61st-place tally in the national race. The women’s golf and baseball teams each captured league crowns in continuing their run into the NCAA Tournament as well.

All told, UNCP’s athletic teams have qualified for postseason on 17 occasions, while being represented 38 times by individual qualifiers. Seven coaches have earned PBC Coach of the Year honors, while former coaches P.J. Smith (wrestling, 2003) and Larry Rodgers (track & field, 2011) were each decorated with region coach of the year accolades. In 2008, the softball staff earned region coaching staff of the year accolades from the National Fastpitch Coaches Association.

Entering his 14th season as athletic director, Kenney, the energetic mentor who is now in his third tour of duty in some capacity at UNCP, oversees and manages all aspects of the athletic department, which includes 16 varsity sports and two spirit squads. He has also been at the forefront of a major fundraising movement to build support for Braves athletics, while also overseeing a $2-plus million dollar budget.

During his current tenure, UNCP has also expanded its varsity athletic program to include three more sports. The women’s soccer team began play in the 2001 season, women’s golf teed off for the first time during the 2006-07 campaign and football made its return to southeastern North Carolina on Sept. 1, 2007, for the first time in 56 years when the Black and Gold traveled to Davidson.

During his initial three-year stint as assistant men’s basketball coach in Pembroke from 1977-80, Kenney joined UNCP alum and current Houston Rockets assistant coach Kelvin Sampson on the sidelines in helping UNCP rattle off a cumulative 42-39 (.519) record with squads that included all-American Tom Gardner, all-district standout Lenwood Graham and two-time all-league honoree Melvin Reid. He moved on Western Carolina in 1980 as an assistant basketball coach and head cross country coach.

Over the course of his five seasons in Cullowhee, the Catamounts posted an impressive 83-57 (.593) record – a span of five-straight winning seasons – including a second-place finish in the league in 1981-82 and a third-place listing in 1984-85. His WCU cross country squad was impressive as well as Kenney helped mentor standouts Robert Baker and Jeff Simpson, both of whom turned in sub-26 minute marks in the 8K run. Another runner, Phil Roberts, ran a 31:11 time in the 10K run.

Following a bevy of success at Western Carolina, Kenney returned to Pembroke in 1985 to take over the reigns of the men’s basketball program from former boss Billy Lee, as well as serve as then-Pembroke State’s assistant athletic director.

The success that he had already enjoyed in an assistant’s role would soon translate into his new role as the Black and Gold reeled off a phenomenal seven-year run that saw it turn in a 124-78 (.614) record, three Carolinas Conference titles (1986, 1990-91) and seven-straight winning seasons. Individually, he mentored 11 all-conference performers, 10 NAIA all-district honorees, four all-Americans and one academic all-American. Kenney’s 1991 squad, which featured four eventual 1,000-career point scorers, currently sports the best season record in school history at 27-5.

Kenney also earned a pair of Carolinas Conference Coach of the Year accolades (1987, 1991), as well as the 1991 NABC NCAA Division II Coach of the Year laurel.

Kenney began his career in athletics while studying at East Carolina University, volunteering for the basketball team while majoring in health and physical education. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the institution in 1975 and earned his master’s degree in health and physical education from ECU in 1977.

An avid runner and an activist in the Robeson County community, Kenney is an active member of Kiwanis of Robeson County and Robeson Road Runners, as well as a former board member of the Communities In Schools and the Lumberton Chamber of Commerce. He also serves as a lecturer in UNCP’s HPER department and on the NCAA Nominating Committee. He was the 2006 recipient of the NACDA General Sports Turf southeast region athletic director of the year award. Kenney was also recently elected to serve on the NCAA Division II Management Council.

Kenney has been married to the former Mira Gibson of Laurel Hill, N.C. for more than 30 years. They have five children: Geoff (30), Becca (29), Matt (25), Kyle (21) and Mack (14). Becca, a UNCP graduate, currently serves as the head cheerleading and dance coach for the Braves.