MISSOULA — The train rolls on for Montana Grizzly football.
After a whirlwind few days at the start of February that saw head coach Bobby Hauck leave, then Bobby Kennedy take over, the dust is settling as Montana nears spring football and puts the final pieces together this offseason.
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Kennedy and offensive coordinator Brent Pease met with the media on Wednesday morning to provide a program update, while previewing the spring session.
Kennedy hit on recruiting and how they've approached it, with 20 high school signees and 24 additions through the transfer portal.
"We still want to be a developmental program. We want to recruit high school guys, develop them, but also in this age of transfer portal guys and when your guys that you've developed leave for different reasons," Kennedy said. "Obviously, there's a lot of money being thrown around out there. We have to replace those guys that have experience. But what I want to be known for, what our staff wants to be known for is also recruiting high school players and developing those guys."
Kennedy confirmed on Wednesday that the Griz didn't lose any player to the transfer portal window that opened with the head coaching change, and with that window now closed, UM retains a number of key athletes that already committed to staying, notably quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat, running back Eli Gillman, wide receiver Brooks Davis and linebacker Peyton Wing, among many others.
He touched on a number of updates, to settling into his role and learning the team and program more, to offseason training with lifting, conditioning, recovery and nutrition highlighted.
He noted some of the announced coaching changes, as well as some to come once finalized, and some to still be filled like special teams coordinator, plus likely scheme changes coming to the defense.
"There are going to be some significant changes, okay?" Kennedy said. "But we can still go between three-down, four-down. We can play Cover 2, play man. I think the guys that we have in place are excellent coaches. Excellent coaches, or they wouldn't be at the University of Montana."
Next, it's spring ball which begins on Monday with the spring game concluding it on April 10. Kennedy also noted that any high school football coach in the state of Montana is welcome to attend Griz spring practices, as well as quarterback club members and former lettermen.
"We still want to maintain the way we've done things, be physical, be quick at practice and have a good tempo in what we do," Pease said. "Because there's new faces there and they got to step up. They all got to elevate their role. And that's what I told them the other day. Elevate your role, and then we'll move towards where we need to move."
Kennedy is already getting early adoration and notice as well from fans for his homemade social media graphics that UM is using for recruiting, but also for current players, in what's been a fun wrinkle where the new head man has showcased his flair and personality.
"Trying to come up with creative ways, not only for your players, but also guys that you're recruiting to show them that you're thinking about them, that they're a priority," Kennedy said. "My priority right now has been trying to show those guys and make an effort to let them know that I'm accessible and that we're going to we're going to put our best foot forward."
