Harry Kinnan, Former School Board Member, Longtime Educator, Basketball Coach, Dies At 80

BRADENTON, FL — Harry G. Kinnan, a former Manatee County school board member and longtime educator and coach, died Monday.

Kinnan, who was 80, died of cancer, according to the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Originally from Toledo, Ohio, Kinnan, moved to Bradenton in 1952, according to his obituary on Legacy.com.

According to his candidate profile at VoterFocus.com, he graduated from StetsonUniversity and earned a master’s degree from Florida Atlantic University. Before launching his career in education, he served in the U.S. Army Artillery, earning the rank of captain.

Kinnan coached basketball and taught at Manatee Community College, which is now State College of Florida, from 1977 to 1996.

During his 26 years coaching at the college, he only had two losing seasons. The team also won the 1985 state championship, the Herald-Tribune said.

Joseph Pratt, a former assistant coach for Kinnan, shared on Facebook that he had a “very heavy heart” after learning of the death of the “legendary” coach.

“He was innovative, kind and focused on winning. During my time at Manatee Community College, we sent players to schools like Alabama, Davidson, UNC Wilmington and others,” Pratt wrote. “He was fun to be around, and he gave me a lot of latitude, regarding recruiting and working with our post players. He was special. Heavy heart, but know that heaven gained a helluva basketball coach.”

He was first elected to the Manatee County School Board in 1996, serving as chair three times: 1997-1999, 2001 and 2006-2007.

In a statement, Superintendent Cynthia Saunders said Kinnan’s death “is a sad day for education in Manatee County.”

She said, “From his Hall of Fame career as a basketball coach at Manatee Community College, to his service as a School Board member from 1996 to 2012, to his contributions to the Manatee Education Foundation – he devoted his life to the young people of this community.”

Among the numerous honors Kinnan received during his lifetime, he was elected to the Florida Community College Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995, won the Florida Community College Merit and Service Award in 1994 and was elected to the Manatee Community College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006, according to his candidate profile.

In addition to his time on the school board, he was heavily involved in the community as a member of the Bradenton Kiwanis Club and serving on the Boy’s and Girl’s Club Corporate Board and the Take Stock Manatee board. In 2008, he was appointed to the Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council by the governor.

Kinnan is survived by his wife, Sue, a former curriculum specialist for Manatee County Schools; two sons, Chris and Patrick; one daughter, Courtney; his brother, Joe, the former Manatee High School football coach; his sister, Anna Mae; and eight grandchildren.

Funeral plans include a visitation on Monday from 10 to 11 a.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church with a service at 11 a.m. Those unable to attend the services can view them streaming live on the Brown & Sons Funeral Homes & Crematory’s Facebook page.