10 Questions with Keith Kennedy

Keith Kennedy has spent the last 11 years coaching the St. Francis de Sales swim team. The Mansfield native has led the Knights swim team to many accomplishments and titles. St. Francis entered this season coming off finishing as the Division I state runner-up the last two years. Kennedy is also involved locally with coaching club swimmers from schools throughout northwest Ohio. Frankly, Kennedy spends much of his time at the Knights pool and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Considering you’re a graduate and former swimmer at Cincinnati, what was your reaction to seeing the replay of the Cincinnati-Xavier men’s basketball melee?

It makes your stomach turn. It’s pretty sad. To see that, it’s hard to wear UC stuff around the gym and around town. It’s too bad to see that happen.

Have you always embraced swimming as your favorite sport or activity?

I grew up in Mansfield, and swimming was something that I thought I could do as an individual sport. I felt like if I put in the work I could get the reward out of it as opposed to team sports. I also did soccer, which was fun. I played a little tennis in high school. Swimming, that’s where my passion is, and it really stuck with me.

What’s been the most memorable moment for you during your time at St. Francis as a coach?

I’d have to say sweeping the three relays [at state] last year. We took all three relays, and that doesn’t happen very often. Maybe a team will do that once every 20 years or something like that, so that was pretty special.

What is it like to be the head coach of one of the state’s most recognized high school swim programs?

It’s been a great place to work. I really enjoy the kids and the families and my co-workers. It’s a pretty positive place for swimming. They really encourage swimming. I feel like the administration and staff is behind us as far as a sport goes, which is definitely important. A lot of times Olympic sports might not get the notoriety of football, basketball, or baseball, but we’ve had pretty good success of getting people behind us.

Do you still find yourself at times thinking about finishing as state runner-up the past two years?

Sure. As a coach you always wonder what you could have done differently. All I could say is maybe not have practice that Wednesday morning before states last year when Phil Barone got into a car accident and split his knee in half. As a junior he was second place in the 100 breast. If he would have just placed in the breaststroke in the Top 8 we would have won the meet.

What were your expectations for the Knights program when you took over as the coach?

My expectations of myself were to try and get the most out of each kid. That’s always been my philosophy, to set the stage and give them the tools that are necessary for them to succeed at the highest level that they personally can succeed. That includes the kids that are just learning how to swim all the way up to the kids that are trying to go for that state title or get that Olympic trial cut. My expectation was to try and create a program that would encompass all of that.

What would you be involved in if you weren’t serving as a swim coach?

I was a business major in college, so I’d probably be involved in real estate, corporate real estate. That’s where my other passion is — in real estate.

Is it possible to spot a potentially good swimmer the way it is to possibly spot a potentially good athlete for other sports?

A lot of times the talent is brought out of the kids. With swimming, you can’t really tell. You could look at a body figure and say, ‘Oh, that guy is tall and that guy looks like he could be a good swimmer,’ but you get him into a pool, and he could be a sinker. A lot of it has to do with developing the kids that you have, and sometimes you find some diamonds in the rough where you didn’t really expect anything was going to be there.

Can you imagine what it would be like if the Knights were to win a state championship during your tenure, which would be the fifth in school history?

It would be awesome. It would be awesome for the kids. At the end of the day, as long as they swim the best that they can swim that’s all you can ask for.

What do you think of the Knights’ chances to win a state championship at the end of this season?

I think we have a good shot at it this year too.