FILE PHOTO
Peabody native and Endicott men’s basketball coach Kevin Bettencourt will be officially inducted into the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame in November.
By HAROLD RIVERA
Peabody native Kevin Bettencourt has fond memories of his days as a star guard on the Division I Bucknell basketball team.
A two-year captain, Bettencourt helped lead the Bison to NCAA Tournament appearances in 2005 and 2006. In the 2005 tournament Bucknell upset Kansas with a first round victory, the program’s first ever NCAA Tournament win.
In four seasons with the Bison, 2003-2006, Bettencourt scored 1,577 points, which ranks fifth in program history. He started all 123 games in his four years and set Bucknell records for most three-pointers in a game and career.
For his efforts and memorable performances in his days wearing the Bison uniform, Bettencourt was chosen as one of six inductees of the Bucknell Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2017. Joining him are two of his former teammates in Charles Lee and Chris McNaughton.
“I was really excited about it,” Bettencourt, who now coaches the men’s basketball team at Endicott College in Beverly, said. “It wasn’t totally expected. I was thrilled. One of the best parts was getting in the same weekend as two of my teammates. I’m looking forward to seeing my teammates again and spending a weekend with them on campus.”
The six inductees will be honored at a ceremony on Nov. 3, when they’ll be officially inducted.
“It’s a nice testament to my career there,” Bettencourt, a father of three, said. “I was really proud of what I was able to accomplish. It’ll be nice to bring my wife and kids and introduce them to some of the people that were special in my life there. It’s a good reward all because of being part of special groups. It’ll be nice to be remembered.”
Some of Bettencourt’s fondest memories at Bucknell include the upset victory over Kansas. Bettencourt, a junior at the time, scored 19 points and drained five three-pointers in Bucknell’s win.
“The win over Kansas, that’s the kind of moment that put us on the map,” Bettencourt said. “My senior year we got back to the NCAA Tournament and won a game again. We won 27 games and finished the season ranked. Those are some of my basketball memories, we achieved some things that hadn’t been accomplished yet at Bucknell.”
Aside from team wins and personal accolades, Bettencourt, who graduated from Bucknell in 2006, also remembers the bonds and friendships he established while with the Bison.
“When I think back to my time at Bucknell sometimes I don’t even think of the basketball games,” Bettencourt said. “I had such great friends and teammates, and that’s what I think about.”
“My friends and teammates, it was a special group of guys,” Bettencourt said. “That’s kind of what led me into coaching. I’m hoping to bring that experience to others now.”
The memorable bonds he created throughout his career as a player taught Bettencourt a valuable lesson about the importance of team chemistry. That’s a lesson he currently finds himself preaching to his players at Endicott.
“I try to tell them not to measure their careers totally on wins and losses,” Bettencourt said. “My favorite memories at Bucknell come from friendships. The chemistry I was able to form with my teammates led to our success. I don’t know if my personal stats gets me in the hall of fame but achieving things that hadn’t been reached before, that’s what gets me in there. That’s what I try to tell my players.”
Bettencourt’s tenure at Endicott began in 2014. He has led the program to three consecutive NCAA Division III Tournament appearances. This past season saw the Gulls reach the Sweet 16 round, marking it as the most successful year in the program’s history.
“I have no complaints, it’s been a fun ride,” Bettencourt said. “This past season at Endicott was amazing. I was fortunate to have great players. It’s great that some of that success has carried over into the summer for me.”
“That’s the thing about sports though, we have another group that’s coming ready to compete next season,” Bettencourt added. “Basketball has been good to me and I’m still enjoying the competition piece of everything.”
When the fall rolls around, Bettencourt will be seeing a familiar face on campus as his cousin, Katie Bettencourt, will serve as Endicott’s new softball coach. A UMass Amherst graduate, Bettencourt was a star right fielder for the school’s softball team. She’ll be the third Endicott softball coach in the program’s history in taking over for former coach Mark Veilleux.
“With me at Endicott, Katie’s been to a lot of our basketball games,” Bettencourt said. “She developed an interest in the job and it’s nice to see her do her own thing. She’s really excited and it’ll be nice to have her in the department.”
