Southington's Kennedy Named Head Football Coach At St. Paul

BRISTOL, CT — Southington native Chris Kennedy will take over as the head football coach of St. Paul Catholic High School for the 2020 fall season.

He will be replacing long time coach Jude Kelly, who has retired after 46 years of coaching high school football in Connecticut.

Kennedy played for Kelly at Southington High School, and, for the past

16 years, served as an assistant coach as either the offensive or defensive coordinator under him.

Said Kelly, "Chris is a great leader, a hard worker. He understands and can relate to
the players he coaches. I wish him well and am confident the players he coaches will learn valuable life skills and lessons on the football field that they will then represent positively in the St. Paul classrooms and community."

St. Paul Athletic Director, David Dennehy said, "I am very excited for the future of the Falcon
Football Program under Coach Kennedy's leadership. His passion and knowledge of the game
is evident if you spend 30 seconds with him. Having been part of our school community for the
past 16 years he understands what our school community is all about and is committed to
supporting our core values and instilling the values and life lessons that come with the game of
football that go well beyond wins and losses."

Kennedy has been the St. Paul boys lacrosse coach since 2016 and, during that brief time, has helped to put St. Paul lacrosse on the map, with two league titles and four straight state tournament appearances.

Kennedy said, "I couldn’t be more excited or proud to be the next head football coach at St.
Paul. My goal is to take the next steps in our progression to being a perennial contender within
our division and the NVL. I’ve spent well over two decades preparing for this opportunity and am
beyond ready to get to work."