Like any good friend, Texas A&M coach Billy Kennedy was delighted when Johnny Jones was named LSU head coach last spring – until he realized what that meant for his Aggies.
“From a friendship standpoint, I was excited he got the job,” Kennedy said Monday in an interview with The Daily Reveille. “[As] a competitor, I wasn’t excited. Now recruiting in Louisiana is going to be difficult … like the Dale Brown era.”
The two Louisiana legends, who have yet to face each other as head coaches, will finally match wits at 7 p.m. tonight when the Tigers (9-6, 0-4 Southeastern Conference) tangle with the Aggies (12-5, 2-2 SEC) in the PMAC.
Kennedy, a Metairie native, recalled meeting Jones in Natchitoches, when the first-year Tiger coach was known around town as “The Bullet” from his playing days at DeRidder High School.
As Jones coached under Brown at LSU, Kennedy moved around the country as an assistant coach before landing back at home with Centenary before becoming the head man at Southeastern Louisiana University.
After a five-season stint at mid-major darling Murray State, where he led the Racers to an NCAA and NIT tournament appearance in back-to-back seasons, Kennedy returned to Texas A&M, where he had a one-year assistant coaching stint in 1990.
“He’s really been successful at every program he’s been in,” Jones said. “He’ll do the same at Texas A&M in due time.”
Kennedy’s first season as the Aggies’ head coach in 2011 came with additional tribulations as the 48-year-old was diagnosed with early-stage Parkinson’s disease and took an immediate leave of absence.
“[Jones] called during that time and was real supportive like a lot of people were,” Kennedy said. “… I know he’s genuine and I respect that about him.”
Now with his condition under control and his team off to a fast start, Kennedy has his Aggies raising eyebrows in the SEC. In an 83-71 win at Kentucky, senior guard Elston Turner poured in 40 points to sink the Wildcats.
Turner, who leads the Aggies with 16.1 points per game, isn’t the only weapon the Tigers have to guard against, according to Jones.
“The ball is generally in [Turner]’s hand or goes through their point guard [freshman] J’Mychal Reese,” Jones said. “Those guys are distributors … they’re making plays.”
LSU sophomore forward Johnny O’Bryant III, hobbled by a sprained ankle since an 84-80 loss against Marquette, looked healthier than ever Saturday night as he powered to 16 points and 14 rebounds in a loss at Georgia.
“He had a little bit better lateral movement on Saturday, so that gives us an opportunity to get excited if he can continue that type of play on both ends of the floor,” Jones said.
As he’s seemingly done all season, Jones will match wits with a familiar face on the other bench, although he assured any allegiances are set aside once the ball is thrown up.
While Kennedy said he’d rather play against someone he doesn’t have a close relationship with, he was thankful for the positions both he and his friend have.
“We’re both blessed to have great jobs,” Kennedy said. “Coming from our backgrounds and the roads we had to take … I’m excited that LSU has a Louisiana guy as a head coach, and I’m blessed to have this situation at A&M.”
LSU guard Andre Stringer (10) closely guards Georgia guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (1) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013, in Athens, Ga. (AP Photo/Athens Banner-Herald, Richard Hamm) MANDATORY CREDIT MAGS OUT
