Western New Mexico University Athletics

Having compiled 250 wins over his career Coach Rusty Kennedy enters his fourth year at the helm of the Lady Mustangs looking to build upon a 2014-2015 season that saw WNMU post its best record in 18 seasons, finishing 14-13 and along the way qualifying for the RMAC tournament for the first time, also finishing #2 in NCAA Division II in Three point Field Goal Defense and #24 in NCAA Division II in Points Allowed per contest at (59.2). In his first year 2012-2013 taking basically the same team from the season before that went winless Kennedy led them to five wins while also being very competitive in many others. Along the way ending a 35 game losing streak, a 40 RMAC losing streak, 38 game road losing streak, and a 33 game RMAC road losing streak.

“We are very excited to name Rusty Kennedy as our new Head Women's Basketball Coach. He brings a wealth of experience and success to Western and I feel he is a great choice, especially this late in the process to turn this program around,” Coleman said. “He was part of taking Our Lady of the Lake University from a new program to a conference champion and berth in the NAIA National Tournament, in just two years. His ties to Texas and the Southwest should serve him well in recruiting.”

Kennedy came from Our Lady of the Lake University located in San Antonio, Tex., where he took a team that went 17-15 in 2009-10, to a 20-9 mark in 2010-11 and a 26-8 record last season in which the team claimed the RRAC Tournament Championship and made it into the NAIA National Tournament. During the season, they finished on top of the RRAC in five statistical categories including scoring, steals, turnover margin and finished second in six more. Nationally, they were in the top-ten in 14 different categories including second in the nation in points per game. In his first season in 2010-11, they led the RRAC in five categories once again including scoring, offensive rebounds, steals, three-pointers made and turnover margin. They ranked in the top-ten nationally in six categories.

“I am thankful for the opportunity that Coach Coleman and the administration of Western New Mexico University are giving me to lead the women's basketball program,” Kennedy said. “I am excited about the chance to work at an outstanding institution, live in a beautiful area of the country, and coach in a great conference like the RMAC. I am looking forward to being a Mustang and seeing what the young ladies can accomplish in the future on the court and in the classroom.”

Before arriving at Our Lady of the Lake, he coached three seasons at Clarendon going 50-40, which was his second turn through with Clarendon having coached for two seasons (2003-05). In his last season at Clarendon in 2004-05 the team posted their best record of 20-11 and made the Regional Tournament.

He began his career at Oklahoma Wesleyan as an assistant men’s basketball coach and after spending one year as the head men’s coach at Central Baptist, he spent the 2000-01 season as both the assistant women’s and men’s coach at Bacone before moving over to being a head women’s coach in 2001-02 at Bacone a season in which he garnered Conference Coach of the Year honors.

In his 14 seasons as a head women’s basketball coach at the NCAA, NAIA and NJCAA levels, he collected nine winning seasons and of those he reached 20-plus wins five times and has a 240-182 record as a women’s head coach. Overall at all levels he brings a 250-200 record.

Kennedy holds a bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Wesleyan University in exercise science and a master’s degree in management from Southern Nazarene University. He also posted a solid playing career scoring more than 1,200 points and collecting All-Conference and All-Region honors his senior year at Oklahoma Wesleyan. He comes from a solid basketball family, as his sister finished her career as the all-time leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker in SMU women’s basketball history and was recently inducted into the SMU Hall of Fame. Coach Kennedy is married to the former Karla Vargas from Ithaca, NY, they have a dog named Tennyson.