Proven performance and the right mix of character and experience were the credentials that led DePaul University to select Florida State's Pat Kennedy to lead the men's basketball program to success. The ninth men's coach in DePaul history, Kennedy has spent the last 11 seasons as the head coach at Florida State University.

"Pat has been successful everywhere he has coached," says DePaul Athletic Director Bill Bradshaw. "He's taken two separate programs in three different conferences into the NCAA tournament."

Kennedy, 45, has spent the last 17 years as a Division I coach with remarkable success. In those 17 seasons, Kennedy has recorded an impressive career mark of 326-191 (.631) which includes a 202-131 (.607) mark at Florida State from 1986-97 and a 124-60 (.674) record at Iona from 1980-86. He has guided seven of his teams to NCAA tournaments and four of his squads have participated in the NIT, including last year's team which reached the NIT finals. He has also guided six of his teams to conference championships.

At Florida State, Kennedy took over a program that had appeared in just four NCAA tournaments prior to his arrival and turned it into one of the most respected and successful programs in the country. Kennedy led the Seminoles to five 20-win seasons and also had two 19-win campaigns. His 1991-92 team advanced to the Final 16 of the NCAA tournament while his 1992-93 squad posted a 25-10 record and advanced to the Final Eight. Las season, FSU finished 20-12 overall and lost in the title game of the NIT. At FSU, five of Kennedy's players have been first-round NBA draft picks, including four in each of the last four seasons. In addition, each of his recruiting classes have been ranked among the top 25 in the country.

Kennedy's academic commitment is strong. In his 17 years as a head coach, Kennedy has recorded a graduation rate well over 70 percent.

"Pat is both committed to academic excellence through a strong record of recruiting quality student athletes and creating a program that will reflect the values of DePaul," says DePaul University President, the Rev. John P. Minogue, C.M. "He and his wife have also been very involved in their community and share DePaul's dedication to community service."

DePaul has drafted a blueprint to build its entire slate of intercollegiate teams into nationally competitive programs. Goals for the men's basketball program include consistent finishes in the top third of the conference, a top 25 ranking annually and regular appearances in the NCAA Tournament.

"Pat was the best all-around candidate," says James R. Doyle, vice president for student affairs. "He has private school experience, is a well-liked Division I coach and has experience rebuilding quality programs. He has unanimous support and we are confident he will get us back on track."

Prior to his stint at Florida State, Kennedy was the head coach at Iona for six seasons. He posted four, 20-win seasons for the Gaels and his teams played in two NCAA tournaments and two NITs. At Iona, Kennedy became only the fourth Division I coach in NCAA history to win 100 games in his first five years as a head coach.

Before becoming a head coach, Kennedy spent three seasons as an assistant at Iona under Jim Valvano. From 1975 until 1977, Kennedy was also an assistant at Lehigh.

A 1975 graduate of Kings College, Kennedy played two seasons of collegiate basketball before becoming the school's junior varsity coach as a junior and Kings College's top varsity assistant as a senior.

A native of Keyport, N.J., Kennedy and his wife Jeannie are the parents of three children, Joey, Kimberly and Kathryn. Active in numerous charitable organizations, Kennedy serves as the Honorary Chairman in Florida for the Special Olympics and in 1984 was named the Special Olympics Man of the Year.