Simon Elfrink
Contributing Writer
Murray State athletics continued to reveal the list of inductees into the Racer Hall of Fame.
The first three inductees include former pitcher for Racer baseball John Beaton, softball outfielder Jenna Bradley and goalie Tara Isbell. Joining the hall of fame next is Coach Billy Kennedy, who will become the 22nd coach inducted into the Racer Hall of Fame.
Kennedy spent five seasons coaching men’s basketball at Murray State, following a successful campaign at Southeastern Louisiana University (1990-05) and a single season at Miami University. The Racers were coming off a dominant 2005-06 season before Kennedy’s arrival, having won 24 games and making an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Kennedy’s first year with the Racers was the beginning of a great rebuilding, and the Racers were barely over .500 in the winning percentage column, going 16-14 that season.
Under Kennedy’s leadership, the Racers experienced steady improvement and came out of the gate swinging in the 2007-08 season, going 18-13 before coming back and topping that record the following year (19-12). The Racers’ growth culminated in the 2009-10 season, where the team went on the longest winning streak in school history at 17 games. The Racers went on to win the regular season Conference Championship with a record of 31-2. The Racers were one of only 10 teams that notched 30 or more wins that season. Kennedy and his team played in front of the nation in the NCAA Tournament, upsetting Vanderbilt University before finally being taken down by Butler University.
While few seasons could match the glory of the Racers in 2009-10, the 2010-11 season was also fruitful for Kennedy’s team. The Racers boasted a 23-9 record, once more winning the regular season championship. By the time Kennedy retired, his team’s total record tallied 107-53.
The next two members to be inducted into the Racer Hall of Fame are the first set of brothers to be inducted, Nick and Patrick Newcomb of Murray State Golf.
The Benton, Kentucky residents played at Murray State for only one year: Nick Newcomb’s senior year and Patrick’s freshman year. The brothers contributed to the Ohio Conference championship in 2010, tallying the first OVC Championship since 1991 and remaining the most recent conference championship.
The elder Nick Newcomb arrived at Murray State to compete at the collegiate level in 2007 and wouldn’t get the opportunity to play alongside his younger brother until 2009, during Nick’s senior year and Patrick’s freshman year. Throughout their combined years with the Racers, the Newcomb brothers took 19 team wins and 11 first place titles of their own. Nick took first place at the OVC Tournament in both 2008 and 2010, with Patrick coming in as the runner up in 2012 before following his brother’s precedent and claiming the first place trophy for the individual championship in 2013, advancing to the NCAA Regional Tournament that season.
The competition at the collegiate level prepared the Newcomb brothers well for the world beyond. Both Nick and Patrick played in the USGA United States Amateur, with Patrick going as far as the quarterfinals in 2012 before being eliminated. Patrick also won the Kentucky State Amateur title in both 2011 and 2012.
The brothers continued walking down similar paths when they stepped onto the professional courses, with Nick getting his professional debut in the Peach State Tour, finishing top ten on the money list and competing in the Dakotas Tour. He also played in two Nationwide Tour events in 2011.
Patrick got the chance to play at a Nationwide Tour event in 2012 and qualified for two PGA Tour events, the MCGladrey and Greenbrier classics in 2014 and 2015, respectively. Patrick spent some time in South Africa competing in the Sunshine Tour in 2015 before seeing 44 events on the PGA Latinoamerica Tour, where he won the Honduras Open in 2017.
The Newcomb brothers were happy to have spent time at Murray State, and equally thrilled to be selected to the Racer Hall of Fame.
“I figured it would happen, and it’s neat that it’s together,” Nick Newcomb said. “I think MSU was a good perfect storm for me. I always thought my strength was my work ethic, and Coach Hunt just let me be me and let me play and I thrived in that environment. I loved playing for Eddie. He loves to win, and so do I and he knew me very well and how to coach me.
Patrick had as much to say about his older brother as he did about Murray State. He attributes a great portion of his success to the contribution Nick made to Patrick’s decision to come to Murray State.
“I am very excited to go in with my brother,” Patrick Newcomb said. “Nick and I were far enough apart growing up that I was the little brother and never really got to join him, so when Coach Hunt was recruiting me, Nick told me that we could do something special together if I’d come to Murray State. He’s been a huge part of my career and I can never thank him enough.”
