Bobby Kennedy will run out of the Topel Tunnel as head football coach of the Montana Grizzlies for the first time this season — a moment he said he couldn't have imagined just a year ago. Kennedy, 59, was hired by former Grizzlies head coach Bobby Hauck to coach wide receivers before circumstances put him in the top job.
Kennedy brings decades of experience coaching wide receivers at five programs dating back to 2004, but leading a program is a different assignment. The Grizzlies faithful in Missoula will be watching closely to see how his tenure begins, with the expectations that come with one of the FCS's most storied programs following Kennedy into every game.
For Helena-area Grizzlies fans — and there are plenty — Kennedy's first season represents both a fresh start and a high-pressure debut. Montana's football program consistently draws regional attention across western Montana, and how Kennedy handles the transition from position coach to head coach will set the tone for the program's direction in the years ahead.