MISSOULA — With spring football officially in the books for the Montana Grizzlies, it's full-steam ahead to the offseason as first-year head coach Bobby Kennedy got to work with his guys the last several weeks.
Now the Grizzlies turn their attention to the summer, followed by the upcoming 2026 season.
It's been a whirlwind two-month stretch for the Griz football program, and now that spring football has concluded the program has time to assess itself with new coaches and plenty of new faces on board.
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"We took it head-on," Griz safety Tanner Huff said. "I mean, there's change, but no one batted an eye. There's a reason why no one left for a reason. We love BK. We love the whole entire staff and we're here."
"Those first two weeks of the coaching change, there's a little bit of uncertainty there," UM wide receiver Ian Finch added. "But as spring ball progressed, I think we felt more united as a team and there wasn't as much confusion around what was happening within the program. And I think we're at a really good spot right now."
The Griz added 24 transfers this February, and many got to suit up for the first time in front of fans in the spring game, as they began to acclimate to their new team.
"I feel really good about the guys that we brought in, in the portal and things, but still, there's a lot of growth," Kennedy said. "We have growth that needs to happen from now, and then our OTAs and our weight room, and now's a great time to keep pushing and getting better."
The new coaching staff under Kennedy's leadership will be the top storyline heading into fall camp, especially on the defensive side with an almost entirely different unit and coaches.
"I can't remember a day that I said, 'God, we're just slogging around,'" Kennedy said. "I thought the guys came with a great attitude every day. They were moving fast. I thought we did a really good job and now we just have to put it all together."
Both lines will get plenty of attention too, and Montana's offense has high expectations with many key returners back.
It's shaping up to be a fascinating offseason leading into a highly anticipated 2026 for the Grizzlies, a season that kicks off Aug. 29 against Southern Utah.
"It was really cool. It's nice to get things to an end and get everyone healthy and give some time off," UM offensive lineman Lucas Freitas said. "Everyone needs some rest, hard-earned work. But I'm excited for how much we've accomplished and I'm really excited to see where we're going to go."
