Legacy lives on through donation
Left-center, Sue Flanagan Kinnett, widow of local sports legend Larry Kinnett, recently presented RCHS Mighty Laker Football Coach Steven French, staff, and athletes a $10,000 donation in honor of the county’s first athletic director.
Staff Report
When Larry Kinnett took the helm as the first Athletic Director for Russell County Schools in 1977, his legacy had already been established.
Kinnett, a star athlete in his youth, went off to school at WKU, and returned home to teach, and coach both football and basketball before reaching the milestone of the first Athletic Director (AD)-a position he held for 25 years.
Strongly rooted in sports, he earned the prestigious honor of being inducted in the Kentucky Coaches Hall of Fame in 2011.
Even in his “retirement,” Kinnett was sought for wise counsel, and even more-so for his friendship.
The community was deeply saddened late last year when Kinnett passed away at the age of 75.
After Kinnett’s passing, a memorial fund was established in his honor, and his family, known and respected throughout the community themselves, made a sizable donation to the Russell County High School (RCHS) Athletic Department.
The family recently gathered with RCHS Mighty Laker Football Coach Steven French, staff, and athletes for the presentation of a $10,000 check.
Donated funds will be used toward the purchase of weight equipment which will benefit all athletic programs.
The legacy of Larry Kinnett lives on…
