Kiernan retires as athletic director, returns to coaching

Kevin Kiernan, the athletic director at Mater Dei, will retire at the end of this school year. He plans to return as the girls basketball coach at Troy, where he previously built a strong program. Kiernan, 65, resigned after 17 seasons as Mater Dei's girls basketball coach due to health issues. He had successful surgery to remove a cyst from his vocal cord and expressed a desire to coach again. With over 900 career wins, he is the state's all-time leader in girls basketball coaching victories. "I want to coach again," Kiernan said. He noted that the physical challenges he faced over the past year made coaching difficult. He praised Jody Wynn, who took over his former position at Mater Dei, saying it was a great opportunity for the school. He has fond memories of his time at Troy, where he worked as a special education instructional aide. Kiernan replaces Roger Anderson, the retiring coach, who recently led the Warriors to a runner-up finish in their league. Troy will face challenges next season, graduating nine seniors and no all-league players. Despite the hurdles, Kiernan is enthusiastic about the new role. "It’s going to be a challenge but it will be fun for me," he said. More details on this story are expected to follow.