STANFORD, Calif. – Third-year assistant Oige Kennedy has been promoted to the position of associate head coach Knowles Family Director of Men's Soccer Jeremy Gunn announced Wednesday.
"I'm very excited and proud to announce Oige as our associate head coach," Gunn said. "His soccer brain and eye for the game are unequaled and he has been an integral part of the amazing success Stanford men's soccer has enjoyed the last few seasons. But beyond his on-field acumen, Oige is incredibly hard working and embodies the diligence and enthusiasm that are trademarks of our program. He's been a highly successful head coach in his own right, an amazing assistant and I have no doubt he'll be leading his own Division I program to immense success in the future."
Working primarily with the Cardinal's keepers, Kennedy's first two years on The Farm have been hugely successful. Winners of three consecutive national championships, Stanford has not allowed a goal throughout the past two tournaments and owns an active NCAA-record postseason shutout streak of 12 matches - a stretch of 1,214 minutes and 20 seconds.
"I want to thank Jeremy for this recognition," Kennedy said. "He has been the most significant influence on my coaching career and provided my family immense support since moving to the U.S. almost 12 years ago. The high-performing environment we have at Stanford is a testament to both his coaching knowledge and his ability to motivate the young men in the program to be the best versions of themselves. I look forward to continuing our relationship and achieving even greater success at Stanford in the years ahead."
In 2017, Nico Corti put together the best statistical season for a goalkeeper in Stanford men's soccer history. He finished second in the country in both goals against average (0.386) and solo shutouts (14), set Pac-12 records in both categories, a school record in goals against average and tied the school record in solo shutouts.
A year prior, Andrew Epstein made two consecutive penalty kick saves in the College Cup final against Wake Forest to lead the Cardinal to its second straight national championship. That season, Epstein was named the College Cup's Defensive Most Outstanding Player, a United Soccer Coaches Second Team All-American, CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American and finished seventh in the country in goals against average (0.571).
Corti (0.00) and Epstein (0.34) are first and second in NCAA history in career postseason goals against average and just the fifth and sixth keepers in college soccer history to go through an entire postseason without allowing a single goal.
"I also want to thank all of the players I have had the privilege to work with here during my time at Stanford," Kennedy added. "Each training session provides the opportunity to work with a squad of young men that are dedicated, hard-working and committed to achieving their full potential. It's a group that embraces the pursuit of excellence and the challenge of competing every day. As a coach you could not ask for more and it makes our jobs so much more enjoyable, meaningful and enriching."
Stanford's 0.382 goals against average in 2017 set a Pac-12 record and was significantly better than the previous mark of 0.52 from UCLA in 2003. The Cardinal conceded only nine goals all last season, a school-record low, and tied another program record with 16 total shutouts, last achieved in 2000.
In 46 matches with Kennedy on staff the past two seasons, Stanford has gone 34-5-7 (.815) and posted a 0.47 goals against average with 29 shutouts.
A two-time NCAA Division II national champion head coach at Fort Lewis College, Kennedy amassed a 102-37-9 (.720) overall record in seven seasons leading the Skyhawks prior to his arrival at Stanford.
Initially brought on as an assistant on Gunn's staff in Durango, Colorado in 2006, Kennedy took the reins of Fort Lewis' program in 2009 and continued the powerhouse's push forward. Hired as interim head coach just weeks before his team was to report for preseason training, he became the first coach in NCAA history to guide a men's soccer team to a national championship in his first year of collegiate coaching.
Kennedy duplicated the feat in 2011, as his team went 24-1 and added NCAA Division II, RMAC regular season, and RMAC championship trophies to their treasure chest.
No. 1 Stanford opens its season at home on Friday night when it hosts San Jose State at 5 p.m. The match against the Spartans is Cardinal Kids Day and fans can receive up to two free youth tickets with the purchase of a paid adult ticket. The first 1,500 fans in attendance that evening will also receive a t-shirt celebrating the program's back-to-back-to-back national championships.
To secure the Cardinal Kids Day promotion, fans can visit this link. Free youth admission is restricted to those in eighth grade and below due to NCAA regulations.