FAST Senior Assistant Coach, FHS Girls & Boys Varsity Head Coach

Coach Mike Kennedy came up through the Fairport Swimming Program, club and High School. Kennedy has been coaching with the FAST senior 2 and 3 teams for the past 17 years, and is also the Fairport High School men’s and women’s head varsity swimming coach. He started with the boy’s and girl’s high school teams in the fall of 1992 as the varsity assistant, and would eventually take over as head coach for the girls (fall of 1994) as well as the boys (1999-00 season).

Beginning his competitive swimming career as an age group swimmer in the 8 and under division, Mike would later become one of the first members of the FAST program during its inception in the early to mid-1980’s. At that point Kennedy was one of the leading swimmers on the Fairport High School team, swimming under former FHS boy’s coach Gary Clark. A two-time high school All-American, Kennedy swam the anchor leg of Fairport High School’s 400-yard freestyle relay which turned in the top times in the state for that event in the 1983 and 84 seasons. That same relay from the 1984 season held the New York State record (3:10.07) for the following nine years. Mike was also a tri-captain for the 1983-84 high school team, and was a member of the first FHS team to win a Class A, Section V title (1981), as well as the first FHS team to earn the #1 NYS ranking in 1982. In addition, Mike helped lead the team to both crowns in his senior year campaign in 1984. That same year he would become the first FAST swimmer to qualify for the Junior National Championships contested in Gainesville, FLA., competing in his specialty, the 100-yard freestyle.

Coach Kennedy’s competitive swimming career would continue on in college, as he swam for Oswego State University in Oswego, NY. While at Oswego he was an All-American in the 400-yard freestyle relay, which is an Oswego school record to this day, in addition to being the former SUNYAC record for a number of years.

In Kennedy’s coaching career he has garnered top accolades on both the club and high school scene. In 2006 and 2002 he was named Niagara District Senior Coach of the Year. In 2000, he was selected as the National Boys' Coach of the Year by the National State High Schools Association.

Mike is a graduate of Brockport with a degree in psychology and is a certified teacher.

The Kennedy Coaching File:

FAST Swimming:

- 2005 - 06, 2002 Niagara District Senior Coach of the Year

- Niagara District Distance Camp Head Coach (2002) held at ECC

- 5-Time USA Swimming Zone Distance Camp Assistant Coach

- 3-Time Niagara District Eastern Zone All-Star Team Assistant Coach

Fairport High School Swimming:

- Boys Section V, Class A Coach of the Year: 2007-08

- Girls #1 NYS Rankings: 1994, 1997, 1998 (3)

- Girls Section V Championship Titles: 1994, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 (6)

- Boys #1 NYS Rankings: 2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03 (3)

- Boys Section V Championship Titles: 1999-00, 2000-01, 2001-02 (3)

- 2000 National Boys’ Coach of the Year by the National State High Schools Association

- 2003 “All-Murph” Co-Coach of the Year by Tom Murphy, Sports Editor of the Fairport-Perinton Post