MISSOULA — Bobby Hauck’s announcement that he’s retiring as the Montana Grizzlies’ head football coach sent shockwaves through the Big Sky Conference and FCS on Wednesday.
Nearly as surprising was Montana immediately elevating wide receivers coach Bobby Kennedy to the lead role for the first time in his career of 30-plus years.
Kennedy had been with the Griz just one season — this past fall when he coached a receiver unit led by Michael Wortham and Brooks Davis.
But, according to Ty Gregorak, who lived and coached with Kennedy when they were both at the University of Washington in the early 2000s, the Griz are “getting a great ball coach.”
“He’s a great man. He’s a very, very nice guy. I think Griz Nation and the Missoula community will love their new head football coach,” Gregorak said.
A Colorado native, Kennedy started his coaching career in 1990 as a graduate assistant at Illinois for two years. He then became a GA at Penn State in 1992.
He got his first full-time gig coaching the wide receivers at Wyoming in 1993. He’s been on college coaching staffs nearly every year since, including six years coaching receivers and running backs at Wake Forest and one year coaching RBs at Arizona before landing at Washington in 2002.
While with the Huskies, Kennedy’s stay overlapped with Gregorak and Hauck. Gregorak was a grad assistant and Hauck was coaching defensive backs and special teams under then-coach Rick Neuheisel.
“I was the defensive GA, and I remember coach Neuheisel asking me, he said, ‘Hey, Ty, we just hired a new wide receivers coach coming from Wake Forest. Can he live with you for a while?’ I was like, ‘Sure, coach. No problem.’ … I just remember laughing late night on the couch after long days,” Gregorak recalled.
“I can tell you this,” he added, “he’s a danged good football coach.”
Gregorak and Hauck left UW after the 2002 season to coach at Montana. Kennedy stayed for one more year before going to Texas, where he coached the Longhorns’ receivers from 2004-10.
While at Texas, Kennedy won a national championship in 2005 and coached standout receivers Jordan Shipley, Quan Crosby and Marquise Goodwin. Shipley and Crosby both surpassed 85 receptions and 1,000 yards in 2008, becoming the 11th duo in NCAA history to each surpass 1,000 yards.
In 2009, Shipley was a consensus All-American, setting Texas records for catches (116) and receiving yards (1,485), while matching the school record for receiving touchdowns (13).
Since coaching at Texas, Kennedy has had stops at Colorado, Iowa, Stanford and Rice before landing at Montana. He coached in 17 bowl games and two BCS championship games (2005 and 2009). He spent seven seasons in the Big XII, 11 in the Pac-12, three in the Big Ten and six in the ACC.
Last year, as Montana’s receivers coach, Kennedy — alongside offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brent Pease — helped lead one of the most prolific offenses in Griz history. UM totaled 6,855 yards of offense and 615 points (41 per game).
Quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat passed for 4,070 yards and 33 touchdowns, Wortham had 85 catches for 1,224 yards and 10 scores and Davis had 54 catches for 698 yards and five TDs. Eli Gillman also rushed for 1,610 yards and 21 touchdowns.
Wortham was an All-American, while Davis was a freshman All-American.
“Obviously, it helps to go get a guy like Michael Wortham in the offseason, but you could tell (Kennedy) had a real impact over there early, and they had a fantastic year,” said Gregorak, who is now an analyst on Scripps Sports’ Big Sky Conference football broadcasts. “I feel like his presence was felt even in a short time. He’s an excellent football coach — fantastic pedigree.
“I haven’t talked to him in years, but we did have a relationship a long time ago and he was sleeping at the house for a couple weeks. He’s a great dude, his wife (LaShonda) is an awesome, awesome lady. Obviously, he’s enjoying his time in Montana because it looks like he’s here to stay for a while.”
