KENNETT -- The local athletic community is buzzing after Kennett High School named nine-time state champion Lennies McFerren as its new high school boys basketball coach.
The Kennett School Board approved the hiring of the legendary coach Tuesday night during its closed session meeting. McFerren replaces outgoing coach Jim Vaughan, who stepped aside after 10 years to focus on his job as Kennett High School athletic director.
McFerren is among the most decorated coaches in Missouri, claiming seven state titles at Charleston High School between 1977 and 1993, then two more at New Madrid County Central (NMCC) between 1994 and 2001. He was named National Coach of the Year in 2001, and after 24 years of coaching he was inducted into the Missouri Basketball Hall of Fame with a record of 539-168.
Though he retired from coaching after his last state title in 2001, McFerren returned to the sidelines in 2005 to lead NMCC once again. After on season as coach, he accepted a principal position at Scott County Central High School.
Ten years later, McFerren is once again making a return to the coaching spotlight, this time to lead a Kennett program that is returning to Class 3, District 1 in the 2016-17 season.