Texas A&M fires Billy Kennedy, eyes Virginia Tech's Buzz Williams

PHOTOS: Highest paid college basketball coaches (past and present)

Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy watches in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Mississippi State at the Southeastern Conference tournament Thursday, March 14, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Mississippi State won 80-54. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

>>>Browse through the photos to see which coaches earn the most ... less Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy watches in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Mississippi State at the Southeastern Conference tournament Thursday, March 14, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. Mississippi State won 80-54. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey) PHOTOS: Highest paid college basketball coaches (past and present)

Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy watches in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Mississippi State at the Texas A&M head coach Billy Kennedy watches in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Mississippi State at the ... more Photo: Mark Humphrey, Associated Press Photo: Mark Humphrey, Associated Press Image 1 of / 33 Caption Close Texas A&M fires Billy Kennedy, eyes Virginia Tech's Buzz Williams 1 / 33 Back to Gallery

COLLEGE STATION — Texas A&M officially fired Billy Kennedy on Friday.

"Billy's tenure included some great memories and remarkable achievements," A&M athletic director Scott Woodward said in a statement. "He represented our program and Texas A&M University with distinction. Without question, Billy Kennedy is a first-class person. On behalf of Aggies everywhere, my thanks to Billy and his family for his service to Texas A&M."

Kennedy, whose Aggies lost 80-54 to Mississippi State on Thursday in the SEC Tournament in Nashville, Tenn., was 151-116 over eight seasons with the Aggies. This year A&M finished 11th out of 14 SEC teams in the regular season and was 14-18 overall.

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A&M added in the release that a "national search is underway" for a coach - but that search is not expected to reach past Blacksburg, Va., at least for starters.

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A&M's top target is Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams, according to multiple sources with knowledge of A&M's plans. Williams is a native Texan and a former A&M assistant under Billy Gillispie from 2004-06. The No. 16 Hokies were the fifth seed in the ACC tournament this week, and lost in overtime to No. 12 and fourth seed Florida State on Thursday. Virginia Tech now waits for its destination in the NCAA Tournament.

Williams this week was asked about A&M's interest during the ACC tournament.

"I've never commented on jobs," he said. "I don't think that's appropriate by our kids ... I can't control what people say. I've got to make sure I'm doing my best with these guys."

Kennedy, 55, was considered an upstanding coach at A&M and has courageously fought Parkinson's disease since just after his hire with the Aggies in 2011, but in the end he did not win consistently enough at a university that had grown accustomed to annual NCAA Tournament visits under its two previous coaches.

"My family and I are grateful for the chance we've had to be Aggies," Kennedy said in a prepared statement released by the school. "We have forever been impacted by the amazing Aggie family we have been allowed to embrace. The memories we have made are only possible because of the players, coaches, staff and administration that have been on this journey with us. I am especially grateful to Bill Byrne for making the first call, to Eric Hyman for staying the course, and to Scott Woodward for continuing to believe. I am grateful that God called me to Aggieland and blessed me with the opportunity to enjoy great moments in Aggie history while here. This is a special place, and it has been a blessing to represent this university."

Kennedy won a regular season SEC title in 2016 and had two Sweet 16 appearances in the NCAA Tournament over his eight seasons. In all, however, the Aggies missed the NCAA Tournament in six of his eight seasons. He inherited a program that had played in six consecutive NCAA Tournaments under Gillispie (two) and then Mark Turgeon (four) from 2006-11.

Kennedy's contract runs through 2021 and pays almost $2.5 million annually, placing him 42nd nationally among coaches according to a USA Today database.

A year ago, Kennedy guided the Aggies to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament in upsetting then-defending national champion North Carolina. The Aggies also made the Sweet 16 in 2016 after erasing a 12-point deficit in the final minute against Northern Iowa in the round of 32, one of the all-time comebacks in any sport.

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A&M was whipped by a combined 41 points in its Sweet 16 games, however, against Oklahoma (2016) and Michigan (2018).

While Kennedy's tenure had a couple of bright spots, it primarily was punctured by multiple key transfers and player dismissals and five losing seasons in league play. Two of Kennedy's seasons, his first and last, featured overall losing records of 14-18 (2012 and 2019).

Before Kennedy's arrival, the Aggies hadn't had an overall losing record since Melvin Watkins finished 7-21 in his last season of 2004. As this season wore on, home crowds diminished down to a few thousand in 13,000-seat Reed Arena, hitting the athletic department in the pocketbook in what's supposed to be a revenue sport for the Aggies.

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