The 2020-21 season will be Kenny Osborne’s 22nd year as the head coach of the Concord University women’s basketball team.
In 21 years as a college head coach, Osborne has compiled an overall record of 298-316. Osborne is the winningest coach in Concord women’s basketball history with 286 wins since taking over the program prior to the 2000-01 season. He has registered eight winning-seasons at Concord, four of which have been 20-win campaigns.
Not only has Osborne compiled the most wins at Concord, but he is also active leader in wins among Mountain East Conference coaches.
During the abbreviated 2021 season, Osborne coached CU to a 9-7 record and a spot in the MEC Quarterfinals. Riley Fizwater became the second All-American for the program, and the first since Jolysa Brown in 2011-12--also coached by Osborne.
Under Osborne's guidance, the program recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons as the Mountain Lions collected 23 wins in 2018-19 and added 21 wins in 2019-20. The 44 wins are the best two-year run for Concord women's basketball in program history. Additionally, the 23 wins were a program record. With the help of All-MEC players Fitzwater, Madison May and Andreanna Pool, Concord made the conference tournament semifinals for the first time in seven years when CU made an appearance in 2019.
At the conclusion of the 2018-19 season, Osborne also picked up his highest coaching honor by being voted the WBCA Atlantic Regional Coach of the Year by his peers.
The program returned to the MEC Tournament Semfinals in 2020 as May became the first player in program history to earn all-region for a second time in her career. Additionally, Fitzwater was a NCAA Division II Statistical Champion for a third consecutive year on Osborne's watch.
Over his career, Osborne has been named the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Coach of the Year on two occasions. He has also coached 17 first team All-WVIAC athletes, one WVIAC Freshman of the year and one WVIAC Player of the Year.
His 2011-12 team finished the year with a record of 22-7 and advanced all the way to the semifinals of the WVIAC Tournament. The 22 wins were a school-record. For his efforts, Osborne was named the 2011 WVIAC Coach of the Year.
The 22-win season capped off a six-year run that saw Osborne guide the Mountain Lions to 108 wins and just 65 losses. Prior to the 2011-12 season, Concord went 17-12 in 2010-11, 15-13 and 2009-10, 13-15 in 2008-09, 20-9 in 2007-08 and 21-9 in 2006-07.
Concord’s 21 wins in 2006-07 marked the first 20-win season in program history. Other highlights of the 2006-2007 season included Concord earning a spot in the NCAA Division II East Region rankings – for the first time in program history -- and reaching the WVIAC Tournament semifinals.
Osborne’s early years at Concord featured him guiding the Mountain Lions to the WVIAC Tournament semifinals in 2002, earning his first WVIAC Coach of the Year honor the same year, coaching Renee Gagnier.to the 2003 WVIAC Player of the Year and mentoring Samm Nester; the 2005 WVIAC Freshman of the Year.
The 2017-18 season saw the Mountain Lions make an six-win improvement, going from seven wins to 13 wins and a spot in the MEC Tournament as the nine seed--the highest seeding for Concord since 2014-15 season. Throughout the season, CU was led by Mercer County native May and eventual Division II field goal champion Riley Fitzwater, who became the second player under Osborne to average a double-double for an entire season--the other player was Jolysa Brown during the 2011-12 season.
After the six-win improvement from 2017 to 2018, CU jumped up to a 10-win increase in 2019.
Before becoming Concord’s head coach, Osborne served two years as an assistant in the men’s program. Osborne’s first collegiate head coaching job came at Bluefield State during the 1997-98 season when he led the Lady Blues to a 12-15 record and a spot in the WVIAC Tournament semifinals.
From 1989-1997, Osborne performed numerous duties at Glenville State, his alma mater. He was the Pioneers head volleyball coach, assistant men’s basketball coach, assistant women’s basketball coach and NCAA Compliance Coordinator all while also serving as an assistant professor of physical and safety education.
Prior to entering the collegiate coaching ranks, Osborne served as the head girls basketball coach at Gilmer County High School during the 1996-1997 season. He won 20 games at Gilmer for the first time in school history and en route to qualifying for the West Virginia Class AA State Tournament.
| Year |
Team |
Wins |
Losses |
Win % |
Conf. Record |
| 1997-98 |
Bluefield State |
12 |
15 |
.444 |
- |
| 2000-01 |
Concord |
6 |
21 |
.222 |
2-16 |
| 2001-02 |
Concord |
13 |
15 |
.464 |
7-11 |
| 2002-03 |
Concord |
13 |
15 |
.464 |
11-7 |
| 2003-04 |
Concord |
14 |
15 |
.483 |
10-8 |
| 2004-05 |
Concord |
15 |
13 |
.536 |
8-10 |
| 2005-06 |
Concord |
14 |
14 |
.500 |
8-10 |
| 2006-07 |
Concord |
21 |
9 |
.700 |
12-6 |
| 2007-08 |
Concord |
20 |
9 |
.690 |
15-5 |
| 2008-09 |
Concord |
13 |
15 |
.464 |
11-9 |
| 2009-10 |
Concord |
15 |
13 |
.536 |
12-10 |
| 2010-11 |
Concord |
17 |
12 |
.586 |
12-10 |
| 2011-12 |
Concord |
22 |
7 |
.759 |
17-4 |
| 2012-13 |
Concord |
7 |
22 |
.241 |
6-16 |
| 2013-14 |
Concord |
10 |
17 |
.375 |
8-14 |
| 2014-15 |
Concord |
8 |
21 |
.269 |
8-14 |
| 2015-16 |
Concord |
5 |
24 |
.172 |
3-19 |
| 2016-17 |
Concord |
7 |
21 |
.250 |
5-17 |
| 2017-18 |
Concord |
13 |
16 |
.448 |
9-13 |
| 2018-19 |
Concord |
23 |
7 |
.767 |
18-6 |
| 2019-20 |
Concord |
21 |
9 |
.714 |
16-6 |
| 2021 |
Concord |
9 |
7 |
.615 |
9-6 |
| 2021-2022 |
Concord |
20 |
11 |
.645 |
13-9 |
| Concord Record |
20 Seasons |
306 |
313 |
.494 |
220-226 |
| Career |
21 Seasons |
318 |
327 |
.493 |
- |
