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Kennedy out at A&M; who’s next?

Billy Kennedy is no longer the head coach at Texas A&M. He was relieved of his duties on Friday evening and for the first time since 2011, the Aggies will be searching for their next coach. What did Kennedy accomplish, how good of a job is it and who might be the next in line in College Station?

AggieYell.com: Kennedy is out

Billy Kennedy
Billy Kennedy
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KENNEDY’S TENURE

From hindsight, it looks rather short-sighted that Kennedy was fired despite making the Sweet 16 twice in the past three years. However, there are others that feel as if the Aggies came up short with the amount of success that they had on the floor with DJ Hogg, Tyler Davis and Robert Williams forming one of the best frontlines in America in recent years.

Despite an 11th-place finish in the SEC this season, it should not undermine the success that Kennedy did enjoy. He leaves the program having won 151 games, which included at least 18 wins four separate times. He also led the program into the SEC but just two NCAA Tournament appearances was not going to cut it.

HOW GOOD OF A JOB IS IT?

Football is king in Texas and in the SEC, but the Aggies have the boosters and support to consistently compete for the NCAA Tournament and a spot among the top portion of the league.

Texas A&M has never struggled on the recruiting trail and in the fall, signed a top 25 class with a trio of four-star prospects. College Station is located amid talent-rich Austin, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, and sits as the lone SEC program in the state of Texas, a giant selling point.

The fan base is one of the more passionate in the NCAA, bolstered by a relatively new Reed Arena that seats more than 13,000 people. The basketball-only facilities, opened in 2006, is attached to the main arena as the program is not lacking for the proper accoutrements to compete on the recruiting front.

After spending more than $75 million on Jimbo Fisher to be the new football coach last year, it is expected that the Aggies put together a strong financial package for their next hoops coach.

THE NO-BRAINER

Buzz Williams
Buzz Williams (USA Today Sports)

Could this be the time for Buzz Williams to return to his native state?

Virginia Tech will reach its third straight NCAA Tournament, a first for the program, and could lose its entire starting five after the season. The work that Williams has done in Blacksburg is one of the best program-building pieces of work completed in the past 10 years. Williams has stayed an active presence in the state as a recruiter.

He was an assistant on Texas A&M’s staff from 2004-2006, has a deep knowledge of the region, has worked at every level in Texas, including the junior college ranks, boasts the swagger that would be adored by the Aggie faithful and reportedly has a $500,000 buyout from his current Virginia Tech employer. It would actually be a surprise if Williams does not get the job.

HokieHaven.com: Will Buzz give Aggies a look?

KELVIN SAMPSON

Kelvin Sampson
Kelvin Sampson (Associated Press)

The NCAA's show-cause penalty 11 years ago banned Kelvin Sampson from college basketball for five years – forcing him to stay active in the game as an NBA assistant coach. Now, five years into his return to college basketball, he has worked wonders in Houston.

By now, Sampson has an understanding of the proper in-roads in Texas with some of the top prospects, high school and travel programs nearby. The question would be whether Sampson wants one more shot at the highest level, or if he is satisfied with where he is. His son is an assistant and his sister is an administrator on his staff. One would assume that major Houston booster Tilman Fertitta will be willing to do whatever it takes to retain Sampson. He age, 63, could also be a deterrent for some Texas A&M brass.

MORE HOUSTON: CougarsDen.com

CHRIS BEARD

Chris Beard
Chris Beard (Steven Leija)

Would Chris Beard really leave the comfortable confines that he has created in Lubbock for a slightly better job down the street at Texas A&M? Expect for the Aggies’ brass to kick the tires on him because of just how great his teams have been in recent years as he's in the conversation for the best coach under the age of 50.

Beard walked a tight line two years ago by taking the UNLV opening and then, just a week later, jumping ship to Texas Tech. He cited his love for the school and connections to the area (all three of daughters were born in Lubbock). Beard has personally molded Texas Tech into one of the best nationally and has it on the cusp of its best run in school history.

Will better facilities, the SEC and a higher salary be enough to lure him away to another reclamation project. Don’t bet against it but rumors say that he is waiting for an even bigger job in the sport.

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