By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Kenneth "Kenny" Sidwell, a Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Famer and one of the greatest players ever to don a Golden Eagle basketball uniform, passed away on Christmas Day at the age of 86.
A 1958 graduate of Tech, Sidwell played four years for the Golden Eagle men's basketball, establishing numerous program and Ohio Valley Conference records along the way. The Cave City, Ky. native was the first athlete selected to the TTU Sports Hall of Fame who did not play football, joining the class of 1977.
During his four playing seasons, Sidwell led the purple and gold to a pair of OVC Championships, including 1956 and 1958. He led the team in scoring three times, including posting a freshman program record of 21.2 points per game.
A three-time team captain, Sidwell ended his career as the program's all-time leading scorer and still ranks 11th to this day with nearly 1,500 points to his name. The Golden Eagle legend was a three-time All-OVC honoree, taking home the accolade in 1955, 1957, and 1958, as well as an All-Tournament nod in 1955.
In 1964, Sidwell made his return to Cookeville to serve as the Golden Eagles' head coach, a position he held for five seasons. The purple and gold turned in a 66-57 mark during his tenure, and captured the 1968 OVC Tournament title, an event held at the beginning of the season without a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
For his accomplishments on the court, both as a player and head coach, Sidwell is one of just four Golden Eagles to have their jersey retired in the rafters of the Hooper Eblen Center.
Prior to his coaching tenure at Tech, Sidwell served as the head coach at Belmont from 1962-64. He returned to Nashville for a second stint with the Bruins in 1972, serving two more seasons before accepting a role with the University as dean of students, a position he held for 15 years.
In the early 1990s, Sidwell became the first full-time director of athletics for Belmont, guiding the school's move from NAIA to NCAA Division I in 1996. He later served as the school's director of compliance before retiring in 2006.
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. He is a member of three Halls of Fame: the Tennessee Tech Sports Hall of Fame, the Belmont Athletic 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.
Visitation for Sidwell will take place at Harpeth Hills Funeral Home in Nashville on Tuesday, Jan. 3, 2023 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. A Celebration of Life at 1:00 p.m. and reception at the Pavilion will follow.
