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Andrea Kenney w/Family

End Of An Era: Andrea Kenney Announces Retirement

Kenney founded the Otter softball program in 2006

May 02, 2024

By: Kevin Gilmore (@OtterKevin)
SEASIDE, Calif. — The end of the first era of Cal State Monterey Bay softball has come as Andrea Kenney, the only coach the program ever has known, announced her retirement.

Owner of 729 career collegiate victories, she built the CSUMB program from scratch in 2006 and needed just three seasons to take her team to its first NCAA Tournament appearance. It marked the first of seven NCAA Tourney appearances in 10 seasons for the Otters, a span that included five CCAA regular season titles (2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017) and two CCAA Tournament titles (2009, 2015).

"Coaching at CSUMB has been very rewarding. But it's the many great athletes who have played in MB gear who should be celebrated," says Kenney. "Much thanks to my wife Stephi and daughter KK who sacrificed a great deal while I pursued this career. To Kirby Garry, for his support, and a special thanks my work husband, Greg Rhines, the best friend a person could have. I look forward to watching my grandsons pursue their dreams."

"Coach Kenney built a nationally-recognized and winning program literally from the ground up," says CSUMB Director of Athletics Kirby Garry. "She led her program to consistent success in the highly competitive CCAA with a tireless work ethic and high standards in everything that she did when recruiting, teaching and developing student-athletes.

Kenney leaves CSUMB owner of all 558 of the program's wins, an average of 31 wins per season. She owns the most victories and most NCAA Tournament appearances by any coach in any sport in Otter history.

Throughout her time in Seaside, Kenney has coached some of the top student–athletes in Otter history, including CSUMB's first Academic All-American® in any sport. Her student-athletes have combined to win 18 All-America and 49 all-region awards.

Kenney began her collegiate head coaching career at New Mexico Highlands University in 1998. She spent five seasons at Claremont-McKenna-Scripps Colleges before founding the Otter program in 2006.

"Her legacy at Cal State Monterey Bay is amazing. Her program excelled in competition, in the classroom and in the community — and always represented CSUMB in a first class manner," says Garry. "We have the utmost respect and admiration for her as a leader, teacher, coach and friend. We wish her all the best in retirement and look forward to catching some waves with her and her grandsons around Santa Cruz."



 
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