Tom Kennedy Selected To Lead Brandywine Cross County And Track Programs

MEDIA, Pa. – Penn State Brandywine Director of Athletics Bobbi Caprice welcomed Tom Kennedy as the new head coach of the Lions' cross country and track and field programs on Thursday.

Kennedy most recently spent three years at NCAA Division III Eastern University following two decades of coaching at the high school level in Delaware County. An assistant coach at Eastern for two years before being elevated to head coach in 2019, Kennedy led the Eagles to their first-ever Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) championship during the 2020 indoor track and field season and guided the team's first distance all-American. His 2019 cross country teams produced five team invitational championships and saw seven student-athletes earn all-conference laurels.

Kennedy's teams were also successful in the classroom as 18 cross country student-athletes were named to the MAC Academic Honor Roll.

Prior to his stint at Eastern, Kennedy spent 17 years building one of the nation's preeminent high school cross country and track and field programs at Cardinal O'Hara High School.

Under Kennedy's direction, the 2014 boys' indoor distance medley team won the United States National Championship, recording the second-fastest mark in American history, while the 2003 boys' 4x800 relay team claimed a national title at the New Balance Outdoor Nationals. In addition, the 2012 boys' cross country team placed fifth at the Nike Cross County National Championship and remains the only team from the Philadelphia Catholic League or Delaware County to earn a spot in the prestigious meet's history.

Statewide, Kennedy's boys' teams earned one state championship and six runner-up performances among 11 top-three showings, while the 2016 Cardinal O'Hara girls' cross country team won the school's first girls PIAA state championship. Kennedy was named Pennsylvania Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year in 2016 by the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association and Pennsylvania Track and Field Coaches Association.

In addition, Kennedy oversaw 27 Philadelphia Catholic League and 20 Delaware County team championships.

Individually, Kennedy guided 42 Cardinal O'Hara cross country and track and field athletes to a total of 107 all-American awards. Every year from 2001-17, at least one student-athlete earned recognition as a national champion, state champion or all-American. Kennedy also directed 24 state champions and 117 state medalists during his tenure at Cardinal O'Hara.

A 2010 inductee into the Media Area Sports Hall of Fame, Kennedy began his coaching career at Sun Valley High School where his girls' cross country team claimed back-to-back Del-Val League titles in 1999 and 2000. Kennedy was named conference coach of the year at the conclusion of both seasons.

Kennedy is a graduate of Moravian College where he was an all-conference standout on the track and field team and still holds the school two-mile indoor relay record.