To Chris Kennedy, playing basketball at Wayland Baptist University in the early 1980s was more than about scoring points and, in her case, dishing out assist after assist after assist. It also was about learning lessons that would help her throughout her life.

“There are so many things you can learn from being inside a huddle,” Kennedy said. “I loved the intangible things about being involved in sports. That influenced me to want to continue to be a part of the game in some form or fashion and allowed me to pursue coaching.”

Her incredible success as a coach for almost two decades prompted Kennedy’s recognition with the Harley Redin Coach’s Award, presented by Wayland Baptist University. Named after the highly-successful Flying Queens coach and longtime Wayland supporter, the award is presented to WBU alumni who have demonstrated success as a head coach at the university or public/private school level. Recipients also are recognized for outstanding contributions to their community, school and church.

Kennedy is the sixth person to receive the Harley Redin Coach’s Award, following Joe Lombard of Canyon in 2000, former Texas Tech Lady Raiders coach Marsha Sharp in 2001, Rick Cooper of West Texas A&M in 2002, Danny Wrenn of Plainview in 2003 and Marsha Porter of Conroe in 2008.

Kennedy will be recognized at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 20 in McClung University Center on the Wayland campus in conjunction with the induction of four alumni into Wayland’s Athletics Hall of Honor. Those honorees are former basketball players and coaches Cathy Wilson and Rick Cooper, former Flying Queen Marie Kocurek-Montgomery and former track and field standout Vivian Bell-McAdoo.

Kennedy’s success on the basketball court started and ended some 60 miles south of Plainview in her hometown of Slaton, where she was an all-state player who helped the Tigerettes to back-to-back Class 2A state titles in 1978 and ’79. Both of those championship teams were under the head coaching leadership of Cathy Wilson, who took over the reins of Wayland’s Flying Queens just before Kennedy arrived at Wayland. Wilson recruited Kennedy to come with her to Plainview, and she called her then coach “very influential” in her life.

“One of the biggest highlights was having her as my coach in high school, then fortunately I made that transition into college the same time she did,” Kennedy said. “I enjoyed very much the opportunity to play for her.”

Before Kennedy’s playing career was over at Wayland she had broken every assist record in the books.
A 5-foot-6, left-handed point-guard, Kennedy transitioned into the team’s playmaker and was described by Wilson at the time as having “exceptional court sense and leadership ability.” During her junior season she had already taken over as the program’s career assists leader, ultimately recording 613 assists in 128 games (4.8 average) for a record that still stands. Although since surpassed, she also set records her senior year for most assists in a game (14) and a season (206), as well as most career steals (156). Kennedy also averaged close to 7.0 points a game throughout her career, including 9.7 ppg as a senior.

Kennedy was responsible for getting the basketball to such prolific scorers as Gay Hemphill, Terri (Henry) Kaiser and Kathy Harston, all of whom still rank in the top 25 in scoring in Flying Queens history.

During Kennedy’s time at Wayland the Queens posted records of 20-15, 19-10, 19-15 and 22-10. They finished fourth in the highly-competitive AIAW her junior season and, when Wayland joined the NAIA her senior year, advanced to the national tournament.

“It was nice during that time that we were still in a small school setting but also one of the elite teams in the country,” Kennedy recalled. “Being part of such an elite program had a huge impact on my life.”

Upon graduation, Kennedy, who received the Claude Hutcherson Memorial Award named after the Flying Queens’ founder, was hired as an assistant coach by Monahans ISD. After one year she returned to Slaton as an assistant, guiding the junior varsity girls basketball team to a perfect 18-0 record. Then in 1985, at age 24, Kennedy was named Slaton’s head girls basketball coach.

“I had to assume a lot of responsibility at a very young age,” she said.

In just her second season the Tigerettes forged a 31-2 record and won the Class 3A state title, joining Plainview, Levelland, Morton and Nazareth in 1987 when Texas Panhandle teams swept girls’ state titles.

“I was able to win a state championship very early in my career,” Kennedy said with a nod to the successful system that already was in place in Slaton. “I was able to carry on the tradition of the system that hard started back in the early 1970s by Coach (Gay) Benson. I was fortunate enough to come along at a time that we had some players molded and mended in that system, and we beat more talented people.”

Ten years after the state title, in 1996, she guided Slaton back to Austin where they lost in the state championship to Groesbeck at the buzzer in overtime. Phylesha Whaley, one of the most talented players Kennedy ever coached who went on to play at the University of Oklahoma, was a senior on that team.

In 19 seasons, Kennedy’s Tigerette teams never failed to qualify for the playoffs, earning 17 district titles and making six appearances at the regional tournament and two at the state tournament. She was named district coach of the year seven times, South Plains Coach of the Year three times and All-State Coach of the Year twice, in addition to receiving the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches Milestone Coaching Award.

With a career coaching record of 532-114 (.823), Kennedy opted to change careers and for the past 10 years has served as principal at Slaton High School.

“I think you just know when it’s time to move on and when you’re ready to start another career. I was ready for new challenges,” Kennedy said, adding that she doesn’t miss coaching.

 “I still love the game and love watching the game (she’s “real involved” with the athletic ventures of a niece and nephew), and I’m glad I had those 19 years of (coaching) experiences. It definitely molded me into who I am today,” she said. “But I haven’t looked back. I continue to look forward and welcome the opportunities that come with an administrative career.”

Not surprisingly, the former biology and geology teacher has enjoyed great success as a school principal. Under her watch, Slaton High School has hosted more than 35 school districts to showcase award-winning inclusive teaching strategies. SHS also has received numerous honors, including recognition for being one of the most improved academic campuses in the state and nation in addition to being named a ”recognized” campus by the Texas Education Agency and World News Magazine.

On Saturday, Kennedy will receive another honor with the Harley Redin Coach’s Award.

“It means a lot,” she said, again giving a nod to those who came before her. “To those who were in that traditional setting of the Flying Queens during those years of dominance when the program was established, their legacies will continue on for a lifetime. It’s so valuable to be a part of the program when Harley and Wilda (Harley’s wife) were so involved. They are definitely the icons of that university, so being able to receive this award with his name attached to is a tremendous honor.”