Golden Valley High School announced Marc Kennedy as its new baseball coach on Monday.
Kennedy gets the bump up to head coach for the 2025 season after three seasons as an assistant, according to a news release from the school.
The coach succeeds Adrian Rios, who helped stabilize the program during his three-year tenure with the Grizzlies. Rios stepped down due to personal reasons but leaves the program in solid shape for his successor.
“In the last 17 years he has built a strong reputation as a top player developer in our valley, and although he loves that aspect of his job, his true passion lies in game management,” the press release reads. “This is very apparent when looking at the successes he’s had leading teams of all ages.”
Kennedy has coached numerous travel teams, spent time as an assistant at Valencia and coached four championship teams in the Latin American Baseball Classic in the Dominican Republic.
“I’m very grateful for this opportunity,” Kennedy said in the release. “For 35 years, I’ve made this game my life, and along the way I’ve been blessed to learn from some of the best minds in this industry. I’m excited to pass that knowledge on to these players.”
Kennedy is one of three coaches taking over programs for 2025 as Tim Pennell will lead Valencia while Brad Meza takes on the reins at Hart.
Kennedy inherits a varsity team with 23 wins over the past two seasons. The Grizzlies have grown immensely since some poor seasons over the past few years but still have more goals in line. Next year, the Grizzlies will aim for their first finish above .500 since 2011, in Cleveland Guardians pitcher Scott Barlow’s senior season.
