Belmont Mourns the Passing of Kenny Sidwell

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - - Belmont University Athletics mourns the passing of former coach and administrator Kenneth 'Kenny' Sidwell, who passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 86.
 
Sidwell's impact upon Belmont University and throughout the Ohio Valley Conference was profound.
 
The Cave City, Kentucky native, who was inducted into the Belmont Athletic Hall of Fame in 1993, was a coach and an administrator for the University for five decades. 
 
Sidwell arrived at Belmont in 1962 to be the head coach of the men's basketball team.  In addition, he also took on the duties as head baseball coach.
 
After two seasons, Sidwell left to become head basketball coach at his alma mater, Tennessee Tech University for five seasons.
 
Sidwell returned to campus in 1972 to serve as head basketball coach for a second time.
 
After two seasons, he gave up his coaching duties to become dean of students for the University under then president, Herbert Gabhart, a position he would hold for 15 years.
 
In the early 1990s, Sidwell would become the first full-time director of athletics at Belmont, as he helped navigate the school's move from NAIA to NCAA Division I in 1996.
 
Sidwell later served as the school's director of compliance before retiring in 2006.
 
Prior to coming to Belmont, Sidwell was a standout athlete on the high school and college levels.

As a three-sport standout at Caverna High School in Kentucky, he excelled on the basketball court, scoring 2,300 points, earning All-State honors three times, and leading his Caverna team to two State Sweet Sixteen Tournament appearances.
 
From there, he went on to play basketball at Tennessee Tech, where he was a three-time All-Ohio Valley Conference performer. Sidwell led the team in scoring three times, and was a member of the school's first NCAA Tournament team.
 
Sidwell graduated from Tennessee Tech as the school's all-time leading scorer, and he maintains dozens of Golden Eagle and OVC all-time records.
 
Sidwell also served as a basketball game official for the Southeastern Conference during the 1970s and 1980s.
 
He is a member of three Halls of Fame: the Belmont Athletic Hall of Fame, the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame, and the Kentucky High School Sports Hall of Fame.   
 
Sidwell is survived by his wife Margaret, his son Tommy (Suzanne), and two grandchildren.

Arrangements are pending.