FAU’s Cooney to step down at end of season

Published April 25th, 2008

By Mario Sarmento
SPORTS EDITOR

In a heartfelt and sometimes emotional speech, longtime FAU baseball coach Kevin Cooney announced his retirement Thursday in front of several of his fellow coaches and his players in the Tom Oxley Founder’s Lounge.

“You hate to walk away from something that’s so ingrained in your mind and body,” said Cooney, who coached the Owls for 21 seasons. “We made the decision around Christmas time that this was definite, it has to be done.”

Cooney, who will step down following the FAU baseball season, has compiled an 879-519 record in 25 years as a head coach.

He will retire to a 200-acre farm in Tennessee with his wife MaryBeth and daughter Maggie, 10, and son Luke, 8.

Cooney had bounced around the idea of retirement for the last two years, saying he’d rather coach his son and daughter in youth sports than continue with the college grind.

“I asked him if he was sure and if he still needed to think about it a little longer,” FAU athletic director Craig Angelos joked.

Angelos said he had no timetable for naming a replacement. The Owls are also looking for a basketball coach in the wake of Rex Walters’ resignation two weeks ago.

Cooney recommended longtime assistant coach John McCormack for the head job next year. McCormack has been with the program for the last 18 years.

“Yes, I am very interested, and as an assistant you always want to be a head coach,” McCormack said.