Bobby Kennedey, a 30-plus year coaching veteran at the game’s highest levels with a national championship pedigree, was officially named Montana’s 38^th head football coach on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026. He took over Montana's head coach duties after serving for one season as the Grizzlies' wide receivers coach in 2025.

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).

Prior to his time at Rice Kennedy coached for five seasons at Stanford (2018-22) and guided one of Cardinal’s deepest units in 2020, led by first team All-Pac-12 receiver Simi Fehoko, Junior Michael Wilson also earned honorable mention despite playing in just three-and-a-half games before injury.

Fehoko, who went on to be selected in the fifth round by Dallas Cowboys in the 2021 NFL Draft, finished the year with 37 receptions for 584 yards and three touchdowns. His 584 yards led the Pac-12, as did his 97.3 yards per game. He capped off his Cardinal career with a single game school-record 16 receptions of 230 yards and three touchdowns, helping lead Stanford to a come-from-behind, two-overtime win at UCLA.

Despite a young receiving group in 2019, Kennedy's group shined. Sophomore Michael Wilson led the team with 56 catches for 672 yards and five touchdowns, while sophomore Simi Fehoko finished with 24 catches for 566 yards and six scores. Fehoko's 23.58 yards per reception were the second-most in the country and set a new school record.

Additionally, junior WR Connor Wedington was second on the team with 51 catches for 506 yards and a touchdown, earning All-Pac-12 honorable mention for his prowess in kick returns, where he averaged 28.1 yards per return. Junior WR Osiris St. Brown had 27 catches for 263 yards and sophomore WR Brycen Tremayne, who earned a scholarship prior to the season, caught touchdowns on all three of his receptions.

Wedington was a member of the AFCA Allstate Good Works Team in 2019, given to 11 FBS players who exemplify outstanding community service.

In Kennedy's first season at Stanford, wide out JJ Arcega-Whiteside finished with the fifth-most receiving yards in a season in school history, tied a 14-year-old record with 14 touchdowns and was drafted in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Prior to his time at Stanford, Kennedy coached the wide receivers coach at Iowa (2013-16), and he held the same position at Colorado (2011-12).

The Hawkeyes reached a bowl game in all four years of Kennedy’s tenure, including a perfect 12-0 regular season record in 2015, when Iowa won the West Division of the Big Ten Conference, participated in the 2016 Rose Bowl and ended the season in the top 10 of the national rankings.

In his first season at Colorado, he helped mold senior Toney Clemons into one of the nation’s top receivers. Clemons was selected by Pittsburgh in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Prior to his time at CU he spent seven seasons in Texas as wide receivers coach, the last six as the assistant recruiting coordinator. In his time with the Longhorns, Kennedy coached in two BCS National Championship games, the 2005 Rose Bowl victory over USC when the Longhorns won the national championship, and in 2009 against Alabama.

Kennedy’s first season in Austin came immediately after the Longhorns had lost three wide receivers to the NFL. He proceeded to build a receiving corps that included three Biletnikoff Award candidates, including two semifinalists and one finalist.

Jordan Shipley and Quan 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).

Kennedy joined the Texas program from Washington, where he tutored wide receiver Reggie Williams to two All-America campaigns before he became the ninth overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. Williams set the Huskies’ single-season marks for receptions (94) and receiving yards (1,454) in 2002. He finished his career as Washington’s all-time leading receiver with 238 receptions and 3,536 yards.

Kennedy coached running backs at Arizona in 2001, and had a six-year tenure at Wake Forest, coaching the Demon Deacon running backs in 1999-2000 after four years (1995-98) as receivers coach.

Kennedy’s first full-time coaching position came at Wyoming, where he coached wide receivers in 1993-94. He tutored two extremely talented receivers in Ryan Yarborough, who was second in the NCAA in receptions in 1993, and Marcus Harris, who led the nation in receiving yards in 1994. Both Harris and Yarborough earned All-America honors.

Kennedy began his coaching career in the Big Ten Conference with two graduate assistant positions, coaching at Illinois (1990-91) and Penn State (1992). At Penn State, he worked with the tight ends and coached two future All-Americans in Troy Drayton and Kyle Brady.

Kennedy earned a political science degree from Northern Colorado in 1989, where he played quarterback for four seasons (1985-88). He began his coaching career 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.

The Kennedy File
Hometown: Boulder, Colo.
Alma mater: Northern Colorado (1989, Political Science)
Family: LaShonda Kennedy (neé Lawrence)

Kennedy Timeline
2026-Pres.	Montana
2025	Montana (WR)
2024	Rice (WR)
2018-22	Stanford (WR)
2013-16	Iowa (WR)
2011-12	Colorado (WR)
2004-10	Texas (WR)
2002-03	Washington (WR)
2001	Arizona (RB)
1999-2000	Wake Forest (RB)
1995-98	Wake Forest (WR)
1993-94	Wyoming (WR)
1992	Penn State (GA)
1990-91	Illinois (GA)
	*Head Coach unless otherwise noted

Notable Players
Michael Wortham (Montana)
Simi Fehoko (Stanford)
Elijah Higgins (Stanford)
JJ Arcega-Whiteside (Stanford)
Michael Wilson (Stanford)
Trenton Irwin (Stanford)
Tevaun Smith (Iowa)
Toney Clemons (Colorado)
Paul Richardson (Colorado)
Marquise Goodwin (Texas)
Quan Crosby (Texas)
Jordan Shipley (Texas)
Reggie Williams (Washington)
Desmond Clark (Wake Forest)
Ryan Yarborough (Wyoming)
Marcus Harris (Wyoming)

Postseason Appearances
2025	FCS Semifinal
2018	Sun Bowl
2016	Rose Bowl
2015	TaxSlayer Bowl
2014	Outback Bowl
2010	Rose Bowl*
2009	Fiesta Bowl
2007	Holiday Bowl
2006	Alamo Bowl
2005	Rose Bowl*
2004	Rose Bowl
2002	Sun Bowl
1999	Aloha Bowl
1993	Copper Bowl
1992	Fiesta Bowl
1991	John Hancock Bowl
1990	Florida Citrus Bowl
	* BCS National Championship

University of Montana Athletics

2009 Football Roster

Shawn Lebsock

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