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Coaching carousel: Little Elm hires new coaches
BY Chris O’Dell, codell@starlocalnews.com
With Little Elm volleyball head coach Teri Minnis heading to Plano Senior to begin her inaugural head coaching stint at the Class 5A level, long-time assistant Kevin Kennedy will take over the program.
"This is a huge opportunity for [Minnis]," said Sandra Howell, Little Elm athletic director. "To jump from [Class] 4A to 5A is big."
Minnis had previously been an assistant at Frisco Centennial and takes over for Jennifer Cron, who recently took a head coaching job at Flower Mound Marcus.
Kennedy, whose hiring was made official Monday, has spent the past six seasons as a varsity assistant at Little Elm after spending two seasons at Denton Ryan.
“I’m really excited for this opportunity,” Kennedy said. “It has always been a dream of mine to be a head coach.”
The Lady Lobos will have the benefit of replacing Minnis with someone familiar with the program. Kennedy has been a crucial part of the team’s recent turnaround that has seen a steady improvement each year.
“We continue to get better and better each year,” Kennedy said. “I think we have a chance to have the best team that we’ve had in the last six or seven years.”
The Lady Lobos struggled during a winless district campaign in 2009, but improved to 4-8 against 4-4A counterparts during the 2010 season. Then despite missing the playoffs in 2011, the program more than tripled its win total from the three years prior.
“I feel like we made some great improvements during those three years,” Minnis said. “And maybe I had done as much as I could do.”
“I’m going to try and take the team in that same direction and keep on improving,” Kennedy said.
With three of Kennedy’s six years at Little Elm coming under the leadership of Minnis, the recently-promoted assistant had the backing of his former head coach.
“I had the full support of [Minnis],” Kennedy said. “She thought I was more than capable of stepping into that spot.”
Kennedy won't be the only new head coach for Little Elm next season. Brandy Courville will take over for interim softball coach Jennifer Sluder to lead the Lady Lobos in their new-look district.
Courville arrives after having coached in the Richardson ISD.
"This is a huge opportunity for [Minnis]," said Sandra Howell, Little Elm athletic director. "To jump from [Class] 4A to 5A is big."
Minnis had previously been an assistant at Frisco Centennial and takes over for Jennifer Cron, who recently took a head coaching job at Flower Mound Marcus.
Kennedy, whose hiring was made official Monday, has spent the past six seasons as a varsity assistant at Little Elm after spending two seasons at Denton Ryan.
“I’m really excited for this opportunity,” Kennedy said. “It has always been a dream of mine to be a head coach.”
The Lady Lobos will have the benefit of replacing Minnis with someone familiar with the program. Kennedy has been a crucial part of the team’s recent turnaround that has seen a steady improvement each year.
“We continue to get better and better each year,” Kennedy said. “I think we have a chance to have the best team that we’ve had in the last six or seven years.”
The Lady Lobos struggled during a winless district campaign in 2009, but improved to 4-8 against 4-4A counterparts during the 2010 season. Then despite missing the playoffs in 2011, the program more than tripled its win total from the three years prior.
“I feel like we made some great improvements during those three years,” Minnis said. “And maybe I had done as much as I could do.”
“I’m going to try and take the team in that same direction and keep on improving,” Kennedy said.
With three of Kennedy’s six years at Little Elm coming under the leadership of Minnis, the recently-promoted assistant had the backing of his former head coach.
“I had the full support of [Minnis],” Kennedy said. “She thought I was more than capable of stepping into that spot.”
Kennedy won't be the only new head coach for Little Elm next season. Brandy Courville will take over for interim softball coach Jennifer Sluder to lead the Lady Lobos in their new-look district.
Courville arrives after having coached in the Richardson ISD.
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