Mike Kennedy ’91 P’22 has enjoyed a storied career with Elon Baseball, first as a player and later as head coach. This year, Kennedy clinched his 900th career win after nearly 30 years coaching the Phoenix.
What book is on your nightstand?
“The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch. We had our “Vs. Cancer” game this season and having a 7-year-old girl around our team who is going through a lot of tough times, it makes you reflect on something. So, when I found out about the book, I just wanted to read it. I wanted to see how I could personally look at that situation and how it would reflect on me.
What is your favorite phone app?
The onX Hunt app. In my spare time, which I don’t have much, I like to hunt. It’s an educational app that provides you with terrain, property boundaries and corridors on your property that might hold more deer than others.
If you could invite someone from history to dinner, who would it be?
Yogi Berra. I think just over time with all his funny quotes and how he kept the game fun, it would be an hour of constant laughs. His history with one-liners and the quotes he has are classic, so I think that would be an awesome night.
What is your favorite place on campus?
The first-base dugout. That’s where I have built most of my relationships here at Elon. I’ve always said the best time for me is the 30 minutes after practice with three or four guys just sitting in that dugout chopping it up. Sometimes, I’ll learn more in that dugout about our guys than I do anywhere else.
Nine hundred wins is an incredible milestone. When you think about your career at Elon, what are you proudest of? and what has kept you here all this time?
More than anything, the relationships I’ve been able to build with former players. I love that at a time where there are a lot of departures in and around college athletics, we have so many former players that have built lifelong friendships and an incredible bond to Elon Baseball. I love that they reach out after a big win or a bad loss. I love that they follow the program and support current players. Truly, it’s an extension of family. This program is special! I love this campus and I’ve been blessed to be around great people.