Kenny Klein, Chane Behanan, and Kevin Ware on Floor of 2013 National Championship Floor watching One Shining Moment Photo by Mark Blankenbaker Fitted

Kenny Klein Named to Hall of Fame

Mark BlankenbakerFebruary 25, 2015

Kenny Klein, Senior Associate Athletic Director and Sports Information Director at the University of Louisville, has been named to the College Sports Information Directors of America Hall of Fame for his outstanding contributions to the field of college athletic communications.

In his 32^nd year on the staff at Louisville, Klein will be inducted when the organization holds its 58th annual national convention June 14-17 at the World Marriott Center in Orlando, Florida. CoSIDA is comprised of more than 3,100 intercollegiate athletic communications and media relations professionals from colleges, universities and athletic conferences at all divisions of competition in the United States and Canada.

Klein joined the Cardinals’ staff in August of 1983, after nearly two seasons as SID at Morehead State. Prior to that stint, Klein spent four years as an undergraduate and graduate assistant at Murray State, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1981. At the time of his appointment at UofL, he was the youngest SID at an NCAA Division I football institution at 23.

A graduate of Montgomery Central High School, Klein also worked one season as a student assistant in sports information at Austin Peay State University, and was a sports writer for the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle.

He received the 2012 Katha Quinn Award, presented by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association in recognition for providing outstanding service to the media covering college basketball.

Klein has coordinated the computerized statistics operation for the past 30 NCAA Final Fours. In his initial season with the Cardinals, Klein edited the 1983-84 UofL basketball media guide, which was judged second in the nation by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Klein, who edited UofL’s basketball history book Above the Rim, also has received other publication awards while at UofL and Murray State.

He served as the media coordinator for the 1987 USA Pan American Games men’s basketball team, has served on the NCAA Final Four media coordination committee and annually assists in media operations for the Kentucky Derby. He was the local media center committee chairman for the 1996, 2000 and 2014 PGA Championships in Louisville, and served in a similar capacity for the 2008 Ryder Cup and 2004 and 2011 Senior PGA Championships. He assisted in the media operations at the 1999 Ryder Cup in Boston.

Klein, who grew up in Southside, Tenn., is married to the former Donna Graham. Klein has two sons: Alex, married in July 2014 to Beth, and Brady, a freshman at UofL.