| The Kennedy File |
| Name: Gavin Kennedy |
| Hometown: Waterford, Ireland |
| Alma Mater: DePaul, 2006 |
| Coaching Experience |
| University of Wisconsin |
| • Assistant Coach, Cross Country and Track & Field, 2013-Present |
| University of Mississippi |
| • Assistant Coach, Men's Cross Country and Track & Field, 2012-13 |
| University of Illinois |
| • Head Coach, Men's Cross Country, 2011-12 |
| Iona College |
| • Associate Head Coach, Cross Country and Track & Field, 2010-11 |
| • Assistant Coach, Cross Country and Track & Field, 2008-10 |
 |
| Kennedy by the Numbers |
| Elite Athletes |
| • Mohammed Ahmed - First-team All-American in the 5000 and 10,000 meters at the 2014 NCAA Outdoor Championships, Big Ten record-holder in 10,000 meters, Canadian record holder in 5000 meters |
| • Reed Connor - 2014 Big Ten Indoor Track Athlete of the Year, 2014 first-team All-American in 3000 meters |
| • Heidi Gregson - Finalist at 2010 NCAA Indoor Championships in mile, finalist at 2010 NCAA Outdoor Championships in 1500 |
| • Ollie Hoare - 2018 NCAA Outdoor Champion in 1500 meters, four-time Big Ten champion, seven-time first-team All-American |
| • Leonard Korir - 2011 NCAA Indoor Champion in 5,000 meters, 2011 NCAA Outdoor Champion in 10,000 meters, Korir competed in the 10,000 meters at the 2016 Rio Olympics |
| • Morgan McDonald - Four-time NCAA champion, 2019 Bowerman Top-10 Finalist, eight-time Big Ten champion, 2018 Australian national champion in 5000 meters, 2017 IAAF World Championships qualifer, 2014 Big Ten Cross Country Freshman of the Year, five-time Big Ten champion |
| • Malachy Schrobilgen - 2013 & 2014 Big Ten Cross Country Champion, three-time cross country All-American, 2015 & 2017 Big Ten 10,000 meters champion, first-team All-American in 10,000 meters in 2015 |
Gavin Kennedy, who specializes in coaching cross country and middle distance runners, begins his ninth season on the University of Wisconsin men's and women's track and field and cross country coaching staff in 2020-21.Â
In his 12 years as a coach, Kennedy has aided his teams to 12 conference championships. In his first seven years in Madison, Kennedy has helped the Badgers win six Big Ten team titles and his athletes have won 24 individual conference titles and earned 31 first-team All-America honors on the track and cross country course.Â
Morgan McDonald enjoyed one of the best seasons in Wisconsin history during the 2018-19 season as the Bowerman Award top-10 finalist won national titles in cross country, the indoor 3000, indoor 5000 and outdoor 5000 meters. The senior also won three Big Ten titles and was named the Big Ten Athlete of the Year for cross country, indoor track and outdoor track and was named the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team Member of the Year and the USTFCCCA Scholar Athlete of the Year for cross country and indoor track. McDonald, along with Olli Hoare, led UW to its 49th Big Ten title in men's cross country and an eighth-place finish at the 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championships at the Zimmer Championship Course. UW also finished fourth at the 2019 NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships and tied for 18th at the national outdoor meet to finish third in the USTFCCCA Program of the Year Standings. Hoare also enjoyed a banner year for UW as he broke the Big Ten Conference record in the indoor mile and the school record in the outdoor 1500 meters. The UW women also shined under Byrne as Alicia Monson won the national title in the indoor 5000 meters, helping UW become the first school to sweep the 5000 meters at an indoor national championships. Monson won three Big Ten titles during her junior year, ran the No. 3 time in NCAA history in the 3000 meters at the Millrose Games and finished fourth at the 2018 NCAA Cross Country Championship in Madison. For her efforts, Monson was named the Big Ten Cross Country Athlete of the Year and the Big Ten Track Athlete of the Year for the 2019 indoor campaign.Â
During the 2017-18 season distance star Ollie Hoare led the men's team as he became the first Badger since 1950 to win the 1500 meters at the NCAA outdoor championships. Hoare's national title came on the heels of the sophomore winning the Big Ten cross country championship, the 3000 meters and 5000 meters at the Big Ten indoor championships and the 1500 meters at the Big Ten outdoor championships. Hoare also qualified for the NCAA indoor championships in the 3000 meters, earning first-team All-America honors. The Wisconsin distance medley relay squad of Joe Hardy, Corbin Ellis, Eric Brown and Joe Hardy also made history during the indoor season, placing sixth at the NCAA championships. They also set the school record with a time of 9:27.72 at the Alex Wilson Invitational on February 17th. Morgan McDonald won the Australian national title in the 5000 meters in 13:19.05 and competed at the Commonwealth Games. Â
Morgan McDonald led the Badgers during the 2016-17 season, winning the Big Ten cross country title, the 3000 and 5000 meters at the Big Ten indoor meet and the 5000 meters at the Big Ten outdoor championships. He also earned All-America honors at the 2016 NCAA Cross Country Championship thanks to a seventh-place finish and helped UW finish eighth as a team. In addition, McDonald also helped UW capture the Big Ten team title and the Great Lakes Region team crown. The Sydney, Australia, native continued his success into the summer, breaking his own school record in the mile with a time of 3:55.79 before running a UW undergrad record in the 5000 meters of 13:15.81 to qualify for the 2017 IAAF World Championships.
McDonald wasn't the only Badger to shine under Kennedy during the 2016-17 campaign as senior Malachy Schrobilgen earned All-America honors in cross country, becoming the 13th runner in program history to earn three or more All-America accolades in cross country. Schrobilgen also won the 10,000 meters at the Big Ten outdoor meet and finished second in the 5000 meters to earn Big Ten Track Athlete of the Championships honors.
Eric Brown ran the eighth-fastest time in program history in the indoor 800 meters and scored in the 800 meters at both the Big Ten indoor and outdoor championships. Joe Hardy also earned second-team All-America honors in the 5000 meters at the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships. Brenna Detra finished second at the Big Ten championships in the 800 meters and ran a PR of 2:06.47 in the 800 meters that ranks fifth in school history. During the outdoor season, Detra finished third in the 400 hurdles at the Big Ten championships and qualified for the 2017 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Morgan McDonald enjoyed a historic sophomore season thanks to Kennedy's coaching during the 2016 season, as McDonald finished fifth in the 5000 meters at the 2016 NCAA Outdoor Championships with a UW freshman record time of 13:29.79. During the indoor season, McDonald broke the then-Badgers' school record in the mile with a time of 3:57.83 and won the 3000 meters at the Big Ten indoor meet. In addition to McDonald's success in 2016, a pair of Badgers shined on the national junior level, as freshmen Zack Snider and Olin Hacker finished in the top-three in the 5000 meters at the USA Outdoor Junior Championships to qualify for the 2016 IAAF World Junior Championships. During the 2015 cross country season, McDonald earned first-team All-Big Ten honors and USTFCCCA All-Region honors.Â
During Kennedy's second season coaching the Badgers, Malachy Schrobilgen enjoyed a stellar sophomore campaign, as he won his second-straight Big Ten cross country individual title to help Wisconsin win the 2014 Big Ten Cross Country Championship. In addition, freshman Morgan McDonald earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors at the conference meet. The men's cross country team also reclaimed the NCAA Great Lakes Regional title as seven Badgers finished in the top-25 to earn all-region accolades. Schrobilgen finished 10th at the NCAA cross country meet to capture All-America honors as Wisconsin also finished 10th as a team. The UW women also flourished during the 2014 cross country season, finishing second at the Big Ten meet as Sarah Disanza was second overall. Disanza took second at the NCAA championship, the school’s best individual finisher since 1999, helping Wisconsin finish 10th, its best finish since 2006.
Schrobilgen continued his success on the track, winning the Big Ten title in the 10,000 meters and earned first-team All-America honors in the event. Joe Hardy won the Big Ten crown in the 1500 meters to be named the 2015 Big Ten Outdoor Track & Field Freshman of the Year and also advanced to the NCAA championships in the 1500 meters. Disanza also had a standout indoor season, earning first-team All-America honors in the 5000 meters and broke the Big ten record in the 5000 meters. Junior Molly Hanson collected second-team All-America accolades in the 1500 meters for the second-straight year. The women’s program finished fifth in the USTFCCCA Program of the Year standings, while the men were 11th as Wisconsin was one of seven schools to have both programs ranked during the 2014-15 season.
In his first year at Wisconsin, Kennedy helped the Badgers to a pair of Big Ten team titles as the Wisconsin men's squad swept the Big Ten indoor and outdoor track titles for the first time since 2007. Reed Connor won a pair of Big Ten track titles and earned All-America honors during the indoor season, and ran the nation's best time in the indoor 5000 meters of 13:37.42. Mohammed Ahmed also won two Big Ten titles and finished third and fifth, respectively, in the 10,000 and 5000 meters at the NCAA outdoor championship. In addition, Alex Brill earned second-team All-America honors in the steeplechase at the NCAA outdoor meet. Hanson also excelled on the track for UW, earning second-team All-America honors in the 1500 meters in her first season at UW.
On the cross country course, Schrobilgen won the Big Ten cross country title as a redshirt freshman as the Badgers finished third at the Big Ten meet. Schrobilgen went on to earn All-America honors at the NCAA cross country championships as Wisconsin finished ninth. In addition, Emma-Lisa Murphy earned All-America honors on the women's side, becoming the first UW harrier to do so since 2010.Â
Prior to Wisconsin, Kennedy spent a year at Ole Miss as an assistant coach.
A native of Waterford, Ireland, Kennedy is no stranger to the Big Ten. He served as the head men's cross country coach and distance coach at Illinois in 2011, when the Illini sent two men to the NCAA cross country championship for only the second time in school history. Illinois also sent Kyle Engnell to the NCAA outdoor championships in the 3000 steeplechase. In addition, Joe McAsey finished fourth in the 800 meters at the USA Junior Championships.
Kennedy followed in the footsteps of Byrne at Iona College, arriving in New Rochelle, N.Y., in 2008 as Byrne left after 24 years to join the staff at Wisconsin. During his tenure at Iona, Kennedy led the men's cross country team to three consecutive top-10 finishes at the NCAA championship, including a runner-up finish in 2008. The Gaels also claimed three straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference titles on both the men's and women's sides.
During the 2010-11 season, Kennedy served as associate head coach as the men's team finished sixth overall in the 2010-11 USTFCCCA Division I Program of the Year standings. While Kennedy was at Iona, the Gaels earned a total of 11 All-America honors.
In 2010, Heidi Gregson advanced to the mile final at the NCAA indoor championships and the final of the 1500 meters at the NCAA outdoor championships. Leonard Korir became Iona's first national champion in any sport by winning the indoor 5000 meters title and the outdoor 10,000 meters championship in 2011. He also went on to achieve the Olympic "A" standard in the 10,000 meters at the Payton Jordan Invitational.
A 2006 graduate of DePaul University, Kennedy is married to Taylor Kennedy and the couple has a baby boy named Dylan. The family resides in Verona.Â
