Bobby Kennedy named Montana’s 38th head football coach
2/5/2026 12:35:00 PM | Football
*This story will be updated throughout the day.
Bobby Kennedey, a 30-plus year coaching veteran at the game's highest levels with a national championship pedigree, was officially named Montana's 38th head football coach on Thursday.
Kennedy will be formally introduced to Grizzly fans and media at a press conference in the Canyon Club at Washington-Grizzly Stadium Thursday afternoon. The press conference, starting at 2 p.m. (MT) is available to stream live on the team's X (Twitter), Facebook, and YouTube channels.
Kennedy takes over as Grizzly head coach after Bobby Hauck announced his retirement from the program after 14 seasons on Wednesday.
Highly respected in the coaching community, he was named the Football Scoop FBS Wide Receiver Coach of the Year in 2008 and helped guide Texas to a national title in the 2005 season under legendary head coach Mack Brown. He also helped the Longhorns return to the BCS championship game in 2009. Texas's 2005 national championship game against USC in the Rose Bowl is widely considered one of the greatest college football games in history.
Kennedy has coached in 17 bowl games, two BCS championship games, two Rose Bowls, one Fiesta Bowl, and helped Montana reach the FCS Semifinal in 2025. He coached among the nation's elite for seven seasons in the Big XII, 11 combined seasons in the Pac-12, three seasons in the Big Ten, and six in the ACC at Wake Forest after beginning his career in the Mountain West at Wyoming.
He has produced dozens of All-American receivers and NFL draft picks including Michael Wortham (Montana), Reggie Williams (Washington), Quan Cosby, Jordan Shipley, Limas Sweed and Marquise Goodwin (Texas), Simi Fehoko and Arcega-Whiteside (Stanford), and Ryan Yarborough and Marcus Harris (Wyoming).
A native of Boulder, Colorado, Kennedy joined the Grizzly staff in August of 2025 as the team's wide receivers coach, bringing over three decades of experience at some of the nation's premiere programs alongside several Hall of Fame coaches.
In his first season in Missoula, he helped produce one of best passing attacks in program history and the best scoring offense in the Big Sky. He helped guide UM to a 13-2 record while the offense averaged 457 yards and 41 points per game.
He helped mentor Wortham, a consensus All-American and UM's first wide receiver to be named a finalist for the Walter Payton Award. In his lone season with the Griz, Wortham led the Big Sky with 1,224 receiving yards, one of the top six individual seasons in program history.
He also coached freshman All-American Brooks Davis to a breakout season, catching 54 passes for five touchdowns and 698 yards – the most of any freshman in program history and the sixth-most of any freshman in the FCS that year.
Quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat passed to Kennedy's targets totaling 4,070 yards and 33 touchdowns – the second most single-season yards in program history and third most touchdowns.
Prior to arriving at Montana he spent the 2024 season at Rice, and lists stops at Stanford, Iowa, Colorado, Texas, Washington, Wake Forest and more on his lengthy resume. He began his coaching career at Wyoming in 1993 after serving as a graduate assistant in the Big Ten Conference at Illinois (1990-91) and Penn State (1992).
A native of the Rocky Mountain West, Kennedy earned a political science degree from Northern Colorado in 1989, where he played quarterback for four seasons (1985-88). He began coaching at Boulder High School (Colo.), his alma mater, where he lettered in football and track.
Kennedy was born in Denver and grew up in Boulder. He is married to the former LaShonda Lawrence.
Bobby Kennedey, a 30-plus year coaching veteran at the game's highest levels with a national championship pedigree, was officially named Montana's 38th head football coach on Thursday.
Kennedy will be formally introduced to Grizzly fans and media at a press conference in the Canyon Club at Washington-Grizzly Stadium Thursday afternoon. The press conference, starting at 2 p.m. (MT) is available to stream live on the team's X (Twitter), Facebook, and YouTube channels.
Kennedy takes over as Grizzly head coach after Bobby Hauck announced his retirement from the program after 14 seasons on Wednesday.
Highly respected in the coaching community, he was named the Football Scoop FBS Wide Receiver Coach of the Year in 2008 and helped guide Texas to a national title in the 2005 season under legendary head coach Mack Brown. He also helped the Longhorns return to the BCS championship game in 2009. Texas's 2005 national championship game against USC in the Rose Bowl is widely considered one of the greatest college football games in history.
Kennedy has coached in 17 bowl games, two BCS championship games, two Rose Bowls, one Fiesta Bowl, and helped Montana reach the FCS Semifinal in 2025. He coached among the nation's elite for seven seasons in the Big XII, 11 combined seasons in the Pac-12, three seasons in the Big Ten, and six in the ACC at Wake Forest after beginning his career in the Mountain West at Wyoming.
He has produced dozens of All-American receivers and NFL draft picks including Michael Wortham (Montana), Reggie Williams (Washington), Quan Cosby, Jordan Shipley, Limas Sweed and Marquise Goodwin (Texas), Simi Fehoko and Arcega-Whiteside (Stanford), and Ryan Yarborough and Marcus Harris (Wyoming).
A native of Boulder, Colorado, Kennedy joined the Grizzly staff in August of 2025 as the team's wide receivers coach, bringing over three decades of experience at some of the nation's premiere programs alongside several Hall of Fame coaches.
In his first season in Missoula, he helped produce one of best passing attacks in program history and the best scoring offense in the Big Sky. He helped guide UM to a 13-2 record while the offense averaged 457 yards and 41 points per game.
He helped mentor Wortham, a consensus All-American and UM's first wide receiver to be named a finalist for the Walter Payton Award. In his lone season with the Griz, Wortham led the Big Sky with 1,224 receiving yards, one of the top six individual seasons in program history.
He also coached freshman All-American Brooks Davis to a breakout season, catching 54 passes for five touchdowns and 698 yards – the most of any freshman in program history and the sixth-most of any freshman in the FCS that year.
Quarterback Keali'i Ah Yat passed to Kennedy's targets totaling 4,070 yards and 33 touchdowns – the second most single-season yards in program history and third most touchdowns.
Prior to arriving at Montana he spent the 2024 season at Rice, and lists stops at Stanford, Iowa, Colorado, Texas, Washington, Wake Forest and more on his lengthy resume. He began his coaching career at Wyoming in 1993 after serving as a graduate assistant in the Big Ten Conference at Illinois (1990-91) and Penn State (1992).
A native of the Rocky Mountain West, Kennedy earned a political science degree from Northern Colorado in 1989, where he played quarterback for four seasons (1985-88). He began coaching at Boulder High School (Colo.), his alma mater, where he lettered in football and track.
Kennedy was born in Denver and grew up in Boulder. He is married to the former LaShonda Lawrence.
Players Mentioned
Bobby Kennedy Introductory Press Conference
Thursday, February 05
Bobby Hauck Retirement Press Conference
Wednesday, February 04
Student-Athlete Spotlight: TJ Rausch (Griz Football)
Thursday, January 15
Student-Athlete Spotlight: Dillon Botner (Griz Football)
Thursday, January 15
