Bobby Kennedy was officially welcomed as the Montana Grizzlies’ 38th head football coach Thursday, and he immediately thanked his roommate of eight months: Bobby Hauck.

“I’ve been living in their basement,” nodding toward Hauck’s wife, Stacey. “I appreciate you. I love Bobby and his family.” 

It’s been a hectic couple days for Kennedy, who is taking one of the more storied FCS programs after Hauck’s surprise retirement announcement Wednesday morning. He inherits a team that went 13-2 last fall, though it lost ground in its in-state rivalry with Montana State. 

Kennedy sounded very positive that the staff assembled by Hauck, as well as the roster and recruits, would stay on board. 

“What we did, what we didn’t do, that’s in the past,” he said. “I want to look forward with this team. We’ve got great guys, guys that come to work every day, great character guys. And trust me when I say this: They are vested in moving this program forward.” 

Hauck leaves as the winningest coach in Big Sky Conference history with 151 victories. The choice of Kennedy, who has never held a head coaching or coordinator position in his 35 seasons as a college assistant, might surprise some. 

Kennedy said there were opportunities he’d passed on because he loved where he was; his resume includes a stop at Texas under Mack Brown from 2004-10. Then he drew a chuckle from the media, coaches and boosters at the Canyon Club inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium. 

“I’ve interviewed for a number of jobs and finished second a couple times,” he said. “I think they really screwed up, OK? But anyway I’ve wanted to be a head coach.” 

Kennedy’s football background goes back to before his days playing for Northern Colorado from 1985-88 (where Joe Glenn was assistant before taking over as head coach in 1989). He grew up in Boulder, Colorado, home of the CU Buffaloes. 

“We used to ride our bikes up to the Buffs’ practice almost every day,” he said. “And whether it was (coaches) Chuck Fairbanks or Bill McCartney, I was like, ‘That’s what I want to do.’ ” 

He’s had, as many coaches have, a nomadic career; he’d held 12 assistant jobs at 11 programs when his phone rang last summer. 

“When Bobby called me — I think it was 5 or 6 days until training camp — he said, ‘Hey I just lost my receivers coach, can you come to Montana?’ And I was eating with my wife, and I asked her, Can I go to Montana? She goes ‘GO. I’ll be fine.’ So you can tell something about our relationship; she’s definitely a football wife.” 

Kennedy called Brent Pease, the former Griz QB who joined Hauck’s staff in 2018, “The best offensive coordinator in America.” He gushed about the offensive and defensive staff, and noted he’d continue to be receivers coach through spring drills. 

“I’d like to hire a special teams coach,” he added, “because I lost the best one in the country (Hauck).” 

He noted that he and the staff were already working. 

“It is important to recruit the good players in this state and be in every school,” Kennedy said. “We have good guys in this room, we have good guys on this team. It’s our job as coaches to keep pushing them and keep getting them better every day. 

“Our goal to win the Big Sky championship but also play for national championships. As long as I’m in my position, that’s going to be my goal every day.” 

Repeatedly he came back to thanking the Haucks, assistants and players for the welcome he received last August. It made the decision to accept the job when it was offered an easy one. 

“When I got home for Thanksgiving during our first bye, my wife said, ‘You really love it there, don’t you?’ And I said yeah, I do. She goes, ‘You feel like you’re a fit?’ And I said, yeah, I think I’m a great fit.’ 

“Once again that doesn’t happen without the players embracing you and the staff embracing you.” 

Come Sunday, five days after Hauck’s announced retirement, the NCAA transfer portal will open for Grizzly players, and it was stay open for 15 days.  

“Our top priority is doing the best job we can for these p layers, keeping this team together and getting ready for spring ball,” Kennedy said, before drawing more laughter. “This is going to be my last job. Whether it’s long — let’s make it be long, OK? — I want it to be my last job.  

“I don’t know if you can tell; I’m jacked.”