Bio

Charlie Kennedy is entering his fifth season as Avila head softball coach in 2025-26.

Kennedy’s fourth season continued to build on his stellar first three seasons in the dugout, winning 30-plus games for the third-consecutive season. Kennedy’s Eagles finished the 2024-25 season with a 32-21 (19-7 KCAC) record and the No. 3 seed in the KCAC Tournament.

In addition to the team success, Abi Beaman was named KCAC Freshman of the Year – the second-consecutive win for the Avila program – and had five all-conference honorees, led by a unanimous All-KCAC First Team selection for pitcher McKayla Cotton. Joining Cotton were Second Team honorees in Beaman, Stephanie Hayes and Aarilynn Richardson and Honorable Mention selection in Jaka Sharp. Cotton was also named NFCA All-Region.

Avila softball also had two Gold Glove winners in Julia Douglass and Ka’Zem Wood for their strong defensive play in 2025.

The third season was another strong one for the Avila softball program, finishing 32-21 (17-9 KCAC). The Eagles were one of the country's leaders in home runs and led the NAIA in stolen bases in 2023-24. 

Standout center fielder Chelsea Kurtz was named the KCAC Player of the Year and catcher Hallie Campbell earned conference Freshman of the Year honors and was selected First-Team All-KCAC. 

Kurtz, Campbell and sophomore designated player Stephanie Hayes were named to the KCAC First Team. Pitcher McKayla Cotton and outfielder Ka'Zem Wood earned Second Team honors and utility player Montana Stangel was named to the Third Team. Kurtz earned her second-straight Gold Glove and was joined by second baseman Julia Douglass as Gold Glove winners. 

Kurtz ended her senior campaign breaking her own single-season stolen base record in 2023-24 (80) and led the NAIA in stolen bases.  

Additionally, Kurtz (First Team) and Stangel (Second Team) were selected to the NFCA NAIA All-Region Teams. 

Kennedy's second season in the dugout was one of the best seasons in program history as the Eagles won their first-ever KCAC Tournament title, giving them their first NAIA Tournament berth since 2019 as they finished their season 35-21.

The 2022-23 campaign was highlighted by numerous accolades all over the field. Kurtz earned four postseason honors - First Team All-Region and Second Team All-American as well as winning a Gold Glove and the Golden Shoe Award, given to the NAIA's top base stealer.

Senior catcher Talley Cole was named to the KCAC First Team, Kurtz and pitcher Payton Walter were named to the KCAC Second Team and five Eagles were named Honorable Mention: second baseman Julia Douglass, shortstop Brook Belflower, Wood, designated player Stephanie Hayes and relief pitcher Chaunelle Penn.  

Kennedy's first season with Avila saw him guide the Eagles to an overall record of 25-24 (13-11 KCAC). Under Kennedy’s direction, Avila softball finished in the final four of the 2022 KCAC Tournament and placed a total of seven players on the postseason all-conference list, including two First Team selections (Chelsea Kurtz and Katie Wentworth) and two Gold Glovers (Chelsea Kurtz and Talley Cole).

Kennedy’s Eagles were one of the best base-stealing teams in the country in 2022, combining to swipe 158 bags as a team – one of the ten best marks in the NAIA and the most in a single season in modern team history (since at least 2004). That total was spearheaded by center fielder Chelsea Kurtz setting a new modern program record with 57 steals in 58 attempts, smashing the previous program record of 41.

Kennedy came to Kansas City after two seasons as an assistant coach at NCAA Division I Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, where he helped lead the Cougars to a 31-25 record. Kennedy has more than two decades of experience coaching across all levels of college softball, including head coaching stints in the NAIA (Lindenwood-Belleville from 2011-2019), Division III (Maryville from 2000-2008) and Division II (Missouri-St. Louis from 1996-1999).

The 2025-26 season will be his 25th as a collegiate softball head coach. In 12 seasons in the NAIA, Kennedy has amassed a 382-262-2 record and a cumulative record of 682-476-3 and a 124-87 record in four seasons at Avila.

Kennedy earned a bachelor’s degree in Health and Physical Education from Missouri-St. Louis in 1990, and completed his master’s in Education Administration at Lindenwood-Belleville in 2014. A native of St. Louis, Kennedy now resides in Kansas City. He has two adult children: daughter, Taylor and son, Alex.