When Kelly Kennedy was hired to replace the only women’s head basketball coach Loyola had ever seen in school history, expectations were high.

DoBee Plaisance, the former head coach who resigned in 2008, left with a career 157-223 record and an 83-36 mark since Loyola implemented athletic scholarships. In the past five seasons, the team had three appearances in the NAIA National Tournament and four seasons of 20 plus victories.

Plaisance’s team had achieved what appeared to be the impossible in her final season, advancing to the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Final Eight, finishing the season 28-7 — both milestones in program history.

Kennedy; however, was well aware of her predecessor and accepted the task with open arms.

She coached the Wolfpack to a nearly identical record of 23-7 in her first season last year but most importantly achieved something the 2008 team couldn’t, a Gulf Coast Athletic Conference Championship.

    And this year is no different. Kennedy enters her second season as head coach with plans of achieving the same success. “In terms of our goals and what we are trying to accomplish, we sat down as a team like last year,” she said.

    “We decided what we wanted to do and how we wanted to be and what we wanted to accomplish. Obviously we want to win another championship but it’s taking it one day at a time and seeing where we can go.”

    According to Kennedy, she has found the blueprint to success for her team. And as this season begins, she is implementing the same game plan as last year with minor changes.

    “Everything is similar to last year … this year it is easier because we have this core group and those seven know what we are doing.  So we are able to do the same as last year with a tweak here and there,” she said.

    Both Kennedy and the returning core have had a year with each other under their belts. The chemistry they built last year isn’t perfect and they still have differences like any basketball team, but Kennedy says the coaching staff and the players are becoming more comfortable with each other this year.

    “I think last year one of the things we had to do was build trust and I think we did that. I think they trust us. They have bought into what we are doing,” Kennedy said. “That was a big thing for us last year. We really knew that if all got on the same page then we would be really successful.”

    Kennedy said it’s going to be difficult to accomplish the goals they have set for themselves this year; however, they know what needs to be done in order to be successful.

    “What we did last year was took one game at a time. You have to be moment to moment. It’s one play at a time, one possession at a time and one defensive stop at a time,” she said.

“I think if we can approach it that way, in the end, things will take care of themselves if we can take care of each play and each game individually.”

Craig Malveaux can be reached at [email protected]