Steven Kenner brings diverse range of experience to role of Emory & Henry women's basketball coach

BY ALLEN GREGORY
BRISTOL HERALD COURIER

EMORY, Va. – Steven Kenner was told by his high school basketball coach that he was too short to join the team.

The 5-foot-5 Kenner never forgot that day in Fairburn, Ga. He carried it with him to the University of Georgia, and now uses it for fuel in his role as leader of the Emory & Henry women’s basketball squad.

“The coach said he didn’t want anybody that was under six-foot,” Kenner said. “I always had a chip on my shoulder because of that. It made me a stronger person, though.”

Despite his lack of size, Kenner earned a one-year stint as a walk-on football player at Georgia. He also spent three years as a student assistant under famed Georgia men’s basketball coach and former UCLA boss, Jim Harrick.

Kenner had a front-row seat as the flashy Harrick guided the Bulldogs to two NCAA tournament appearances behind talents such as current NBA player Jarvis Hayes. In addition to working as a mentor to the Georgia players, Kenner handled scouting, recruiting and on-campus visits.

“We had a nice little run with Coach Harrick, and we almost got to the Sweet 16 one year before falling short to Southern Illinois,” Kenner said. “I learned a lot of the same basics that Coach Harrick learned from John Wooden at UCLA. Those two coaches combined for 11 national championships. That’s what we’re trying to do here.”

The challenge for Kenner at E&H centers around replacing longtime head coach Joy Scruggs, a former point guard at the University of Tennessee.

Behind the play of five versatile seniors, the early reviews were positive as the Wasps won their first three Old Dominion Athletic Conference games.

“The ODAC is a tough league,” Kenner said. “I was interested to get a feel for the competition and to see how we measured up. I was really proud of how my girls responded.”

The transition period for Kenner and his players was complicated by the long holiday break. After Saturday’s 83-76 loss against Randolph-Macon in Emory, the Wasps (5-7, 4-4) are jammed into the middle of the conference standings.

“When you have 20-plus days off, you can get a little rugged around the edges and I take some responsibility for that,” Kenner said. “It’s been a learning process, but we’re trying to come back strong.”

According to senior point guard Brittany Rogers, the enthusiasm of Kenner spreads from the bench to the court.

“Oh yeah, Coach Kenner is really upbeat and high-spirited, and that carries over,” said Rogers, a former standout at Gate City High School. “Everything happens fast-paced, and Coach even practices with us somedays. We’re definitely having fun.”

Senior guards Baylie Snyder (Galax, Va.) and Sarah Petty (White Bluff, Tenn.) lead the Wasps in scoring with nearly 11 points per game, while former Tennessee High star Alex Lyons contributes 10 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

“This is our last go-around as seniors, so we all want to make the best of it,” Rogers said. “Every team is good in our conference, but we got off to a fast start this season and we’re trying to build off that.”

Before landing at E&H, Kenner worked as a women’s basketball graduate assistant and scouting director at the University of North Carolina Pembroke. Kenner also served as assistant men’s basketball coach for the University of South Carolina-Upstate and was varsity associate head coach at Oconee County High School in Watkinsville, Ga.

At each stop on his coaching ladder, Kenner has added parts to his coaching philosophy. The Kenner plan starts with one essential.
“We love to run it,” Kenner said. “We want to hold our opponents to about 37 percent shooting and crash the boards. We’re undersized, so we have to get after it.”

Kenner admits to bringing a football approach to his pupils.

“I think the game is played about 85 percent mentally,” Kenner said. “If you are not mentally tough and in shape, it’s going to be hard for you to compete in this league.
“I tell the girls that I live for basketball and this team every day. These players are my pride and joy, and I’m their biggest cheerleader.”

Dating back to his high school days, Kenner has come to realize that a touch of adversity can be a healthy thing.

“Everybody is going to have some bumps and bruises along the way in life,” Kenner said. “I think the true measure is how you bounce back from it.”

agregory@bristolnews.com | (276) 645-2544