Scott Kennell returned to Penn College as its director of athletics in July 2022.
Kennell is responsible for the management and development of Penn College's 16 intercollegiate programs effective July 18.
Kennell spent the past six years (2016-2022) as the director of athletics at Madonna University, an NAIA institution outside of Detroit, Michigan. During Kennell's tenure, Madonna reached new heights, including two national championship teams and a pair of national runners-up. The Crusaders finished in the top 100 of the Learfield Cup standings six times – including a 26
th-place finish.
He competed in the Boston Marathon in 2022.
Kennell, who was named Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference (WHAC) AD of the Year in 2018, added three sports programs (football, cheer, and dance), developed the student-athlete advisory committee, kick-started the Crusader Club, increased staffing, and oversaw several renovations projects. Madonna student-athletes averaged above a 3.0 grade point average and completed an average of 2,000 hours of community service in each of Kennell's years guiding the department.
Kennell served as Penn College's director of athletics from 2011-2016 and helped guide the institution's acceptance into the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division III and as members of the North Eastern Athletic Conference. Also during that time, six coaching positions were elevated from part-time to full-time, an athletics-specific website was launched, an Athletics Hall of Fame was established, the number of recruited student-athletes was significantly increased, and many of the college's athletics facilities and athletics policies were enhanced.
Prior to joining the NCAA, Penn College captured the prestigious Penn State University Athletic Conference Chancellor's Cup twice during Kennell's tenure, which is awarded to the member school with the highest number of points based on the finish of each conference team. Kennell was inducted into the Penn College Hall of Fame in 2021.
Prior to his appointment at Penn College, Kennell served as director of athletics at Lycoming College from 2008-2011. The Warriors saw success during that time, including three conference championships, two national tournament berths and one national champion in wrestling. In addition, the department had more than 200 Mid-Atlantic Conference Academic Honor Roll selections and five All-Americans.
In addition to overseeing Lycoming's 17 sports, Kennell also served as the head men's soccer coach, a position he began in 2000. He left Lycoming as the winningest coach in program history with a 110-87-12 (.541 winning percentage) record and took his program to five Commonwealth Conference playoff berths while also earning a MAC Commonwealth Coach of the Year award.
Kennell graduated from North Carolina Wesleyan University in 1998 with a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education. After a standout career as a men's soccer student-athlete at North Carolina Wesleyan, Kennell was drafted by the EISL Savannah Rugratz as the eighth overall pick. From 1998-99, he played with the United Soccer League's Eastern Shore Sharks.
Kennell's efforts as a player earned him entrance into the North Carolina Wesleyan College Athletic Hall of Fame. The Perry Hall, Maryland native has also been inducted into the Perry Hall High School Athletic Hall of Fame and the Perry Hall High School Alumni Association Hall of Fame. In 2013, Kennell was named to the USA South Athletic Conference 50th Anniversary Men's Soccer Team.
