After putting together a record of 49-47 in his first three seasons as the head coach at Texas A&M, Billy Kennedy made the decision to change things up on his coaching staff. Glynn Cyprien and John Reese weren’t retained, and as a result Kennedy had two spots on his staff to fill heading into the summer.
After hiring Amir Abdur-Rahim to fill one vacancy, it’s been reported by multiple outlets that Kennedy will add a coach familiar with the SEC to complete his staff.
According to both Logan Lee of TexAgs.com and Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com, Texas A&M will hire former Mississippi State head coach Rick Stansbury to be an assistant on Kennedy’s staff. Stansbury spent 14 seasons in Starkville, putting together a record of 293-166 and leading the Bulldogs to six NCAA tournament appearances.
Stansbury and Abdur-Rahim join Kyle Keller, the lone holdover from the 2013-14 coaching staff, as Kennedy’s assistants heading into the 2014-15 season.
The addition of Stansbury gives Kennedy a coach not only well-versed in coaching in the SEC but also a solid recruiter, which will help Texas A&M as it looks to improve its standing within the conference. Because while football has certainly adjusted well to its new surroundings, the same can’t be said for the basketball program. Texas A&M has made just one postseason tournament appearance during Kennedy’s tenure, reaching the CBI this past season.
