Austin Kenon, one of the top shooting guards in VMI basketball history, rejoined the VMI basketball program as an assistant coach in May of 2017 and is now in his ninth season of coaching at the Institute.
While on staff, Kenon has worked extensively with the Keydet guards in position development and is also the team’s military liaison and recruiting coordinator.
The 2024-25 season - his eighth at VMI - marked the greatest single season turnaround in program history as the Keydets earned an 11-win improvement having won four games in 2023-24 to 15 victories in 2024-25, which had only been achieved 12 times in the school's 117-year history as a basketball program. The Keydets were one of just 14 programs nationwide to improve their previous season's win total by double digits. VMI won nine games against SoCon opponents (7 regular season, 2 tournament) for only the ninth time in program history and advanced to the SoCon Tournament semis for the first time since the 2020-21 season.
During the season, the Keydets won three straight SoCon road games for the first time since 1998 and defeated rival The Citadel three times during the season for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign. VMI also earned two conference series sweeps for the first time since the 2017-18 season as the Keydets topped The Citadel and Western Carolina twice.
Working with the youngest team in the country during the 2022-23 season, the Keydets ranked first in the SoCon in free throw percentage at 76.6 percent and topped the league in offensive rebounding average at 10.9 per game. VMI also shot well from beyond the arc, ranking second in the conference in three-pointers made (309) and fourth in three-point field goal percentage (.351).
Kenon was a standout three-point threat over his four-year VMI career and ranks first on the school list in all-time treys with 349 made between 2007-11 which ranked third in the Big South Conference. He also holds the school season record with 119 made three-pointers during the 2008-09 season.
He culminated his Institute playing career with a stellar senior campaign in 2010-11 and was named first team All-Big South after leading the league in 3-pointers made (93) and 3-point percentage (.419). He placed second overall in the Big South in scoring in 2010-11 with an 18.4 points per game average and was led all scorers in conference games that season. He also served as the team captain.
Kenon is perhaps best remembered for his performance on Senior Night on February 15, 2011 when he drained eight 3-pointers on his way to scoring a career-high 39 points and grabbing eight rebounds in VMI's 79-69 win over Liberty at Cameron Hall.
He finished his VMI career ranked fifth in scoring all-time with 1,767 points.
After graduating from the Institute with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in May 2011, Kenon, a Virginia Beach native, played a season professionally overseas competing in the LPB – Portugese Premier Basketball League in Funchal, Maderia.
Kenon also served as a Virginia Beach Corrections Officer/Deputy Sheriff from 2015-17 and also worked in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools.
Kenon coached basketball as an assistant at the Division III level from 2014-16 handling a wide array of duties including player development and recruiting.
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