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Contact Coach Kinney: Joe Kinney enters his 11th season as the head coach at Lafayette, a program he has built into a winner. Since taking over in 1999, Kinney has continuously raised the talent level to the point where Lafayette is consistently in contention for a Patriot League title. In 2009, the Leopards made a dramatic run to the championship series, their second appearance in three years. As the No. 4 seed, they upended Bucknell in the semifinals to earn a date with Army in the finals. Despite dropping the series to the Black Knights, Lafayette ended its season on a high note, a common occurrence under head coach Joe Kinney. Perhaps the most notable year under Kinney came in 2007, a season for the record books, as the Leopards recorded a program-best 33 wins, including 17 Patriot League victories, and advanced to the NCAA Regional. The team's performance that season earned Kinney his first-ever Patriot League Coach of the Year honor. The success of 2007 came on the heels of a highly successful 2006 season in which the Leopards posted 27 wins, the second-highest win total in Lafayette history. Under Kinney, Lafayette has advanced to the Patriot League Tournament in four of the previous seven seasons and boasted 42 All-Patriot League selections and two Patriot League Players of the Year (Adam Rosenberg '04, Vince D'Angelis '02). In 2004, Lafayette advanced past the first round of the Patriot League Tournament for the first time in program history after defeating Lehigh in the opening round and went on to face Army in the three-game Championship Series. That season, the Leopards finished with a 23-26 mark, 11-9 in conference play. In 2002, Kinney and the team had a breakthrough 23-22 record in what was then the program's first 20-win season in 10 years. The team won a then-school record 12 Patriot League games and made its first-ever appearance in the league tournament. Kinney has been instrumental in securing major renovations to Lafayette's baseball facilities. In 2008, the baseball field was renamed Kamine Stadium and 2004 renovations made to the stadium included the addition of a grandstand with chairback seats and bleachers, a press box and the expansion and refurbishment of both dugouts. Other improvements included a new scoreboard, outfield fence and warning track, new infield mix and a shelter in the Lafayette bullpen. Prior to Lafayette, Kinney was the top assistant at Navy from 1992-99, helping guide the Midshipmen to four Patriot League titles and two NCAA East Regional appearances. His responsibilities included serving as the hitting and defensive coach, facility manager for the baseball complex, equipment manager and director of the Navy Baseball Camp. Before Navy, Kinney was an assistant coach at Lehigh from 1990-92 where he was the hitting, defense and conditioning coach. While there, he completed his master's degree in Secondary Education. Kinney's time at Lehigh followed a stint at Columbia High School in his hometown of Maplewood, N.J. where he was the junior varsity baseball coach and freshman football coach. Kinney graduated from Lehigh in 1988 with a degree in Economics. He enjoyed a four-year career and served as captain of the 1987 and 1988 squads. Kinney and his wife, former Susan Pitman, reside on College Hill with daughters Annelise and Alexis. |
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