Matt Kennedy, an assistant coach at St. Joseph's College of Indiana, has been named the ninth head coach for the Parkland Cobras Baseball team.  Kennedy will replace Mitch Rosenthal, who has taken over as director of scouting for the magazine Prep Baseball Report.

Kennedy was the top assistant last season for the Pumas (NCAA-II), where he helped lead the team to a 46-18 record, missing the World Series by one game.  While at St. Joe, Kennedy served as the hitting coach and recruiting coordinator and was responsible for recruiting players in both Illinois and Indiana.  Two of the Pumas top recruits for 2008-2009 are former Cobras: shortstop Thomas Norris and outfielder Nathan Weglarz.

A graduate of McCutcheon High School in lafayette, Indiana, Kennedy played one year at Kankakee Community College before transferring to Kentucky Wesleyan, where he was a 3-year starter as a middle infielder.  He finished his career in KWC's all-time top 10 for fielding percentage and assists.  He began his coaching career at his alma mater in 2004, spent one year at St. Joe, and then a year at Indiana State University.  He returned to St. Joe in fall of 2006.

Athletics Director Rod Lovett said that during the search for a new coach, Kennedy's name "came up over and over again from people I trust in the coaching ranks.  After talking with him, I knew immediately he was the right guy for the job.  He is an extremely hard worker who has the experience, attitude, and commitment I was looking for."

Assistant Coach DJ Throneburg will remain as the Cobras pitching coach, and Kennedy hopes to add one more assistant before practice begins in August.  He and his wife plant to move to Champaign in early July with their two children.