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Ole Miss Basketball: Just How Safe is Andy Kennedy’s Job?

By John Gillon

DAYTON, OH - MARCH 17: Head coach Andy Kennedy of the Mississippi Rebels looks on against the Brigham Young Cougars during the first round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 17, 2015 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DAYTON, OH - MARCH 17: Head coach Andy Kennedy of the Mississippi Rebels looks on against the Brigham Young Cougars during the first round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 17, 2015 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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Ole Miss basketball coach, Andy Kennedy, is the dean of SEC basketball coaches.  He has been here longer than any active coach in the conference.  Andy has elevated the expectations of the fans when it comes to basketball.

However, Kennedy’s job security with Ole Miss basketball may not be as high as you would expect. Recent events will make you hesitate when it comes to answering just how safe Andy Kennedy is.

While it is true that only maybe Bill Self or Coach K are truly safe, imagining Andy Kennedy being let go by Ole Miss is just downright benign. I mean Kennedy won a freaking SEC championship with Ole Miss.

What makes me think his seat could be a bit warm?

Ole Miss Rebels Basketball
Ole Miss Rebels Basketball /

Ole Miss Rebels Basketball

The most alarming sign to point too is easy.  Ole Miss declined to extend Andy Kennedy’s contract.  In doing this, the administration has negatively influenced Ole Miss basketball recruiting.

Ole Miss lost two of their high-school commits (Parker Stewart and Jamarko Pickett) and a graduate transfer (Cullen Neal).  However, losing the grad transfer could have been more directly related to lack of playing time.

While losing Cullen Neal shouldn’t be too much of a subtraction in terms of production and future success, losing Stewart and Pickett will haunt Ole Miss for years to come.

Stewart is a three-star combo guard, who could knock down the three ball.  Sounds like a successful modern-day basketball player, huh?  Stewart was granted his release from Ole Miss and has since signed with Pittsburgh.

Jamarko Pickett was one of the highest rated commits in Ole Miss basketball history.  A 6’7 small forward, Pickett could have been a program changing athlete. Pickett had the ability to be a stretch four on occasions, another modern skill set.

Glaring Questions

You could make the argument that AK has been set up for failure. This argument spawns multiple questions:

  1. Has AK fallen out of favor with the administration?
  2. Are higher-ups trying to sabotage AK?
  3. Who on earth would they conjure up to replace AK? The answer is NOBODY.

Andy Kennedy’s success with Ole Miss basketball has been unparalleled. There have been other successful seasons before Andy Kennedy took over; however, the continued, consistent success has never been matched in Ole Miss basketball history. Keep in mind Ole Miss and Kentucky are the only SEC programs to finish .500 or better in every season dating back to 2011.

Next: How Quickly Things Change!

Losing Andy Kennedy would be near catastrophic to Ole Miss basketball. If he leaves, we may as well move back into Tad Smith Coliseum.

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