Dean Kennedy - Football Coach - James Madison University Athletics

Dean Kennedy

Title:
Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks
Phone:
540-568-6517
Physical Address:
Plecker APC 224 (220 Champions Dr.) / MSC 2201

Dean Kennedy is in his second season with the James Madison football program in 2025, as he serves as the offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.

In his first season at JMU, he led an offense that ranked top 30 nationally in seven categories, which included leading the country in fewest interceptions (4) and ranking third in fewest turnovers (9). JMU was also 23rd in time of possession (31:48), 24th in fewest fumbles lost (5), 26th in scoring offense (33.3), 28th in rushing offense (191.5) and 30th in pass efficiency (144.60).

The Dukes led the Sun Belt in fewest interceptions thrown, fewest turnovers and time of possession while ranking second in passing touchdowns (28) and third in scoring.

Five offensive players were named to the 2024 All-Sun Belt Team, led by the offensive lineman duo of Pat McMurtrie and Cole Potts, who both took home First Team honors. Quarterback Alonza Barnett III, receiver Omarion Dollison and tight end Taylor Thompson also claimed Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt status.

Under Kennedy’s guidance, Barnett was voted the Touchdown Club of Richmond Division I State Quarterback of the Year and was a finalist for the Bill Dudley Award, honoring the top player in the Commonwealth of Virginia. He was also named to the midseason watch lists for the Maxwell Award and the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award and earned AP National Player of the Week after setting a Sun Belt record as the first player with five passing touchdowns and two rushing scores in the same game at North Carolina.

Kennedy joined the Dukes after two seasons on Bob Chesney’s staff at Holy Cross (2022-23), where he was quarterbacks coach for both campaigns and offensive coordinator in his second season.

During his time in Worcester, he helped Holy Cross to a pair of Patriot League championships and a berth in the 2022 NCAA FCS Playoffs. In that time, he was part of back-to-back Patriot League championships, clinched a berth in the 2022 FCS quarterfinals and the team posted a 19-5 overall record.

He helped lead a Holy Cross offense that ranked as one of the best in the FCS, as well as mentoring two-time Walter Payton Award finalist Matthew Sluka, who was voted 2023 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year.

During the 2023 season, he aided the Crusader offense in ranking top-20 nationally in eight different statistical areas. They were second on third-down conversions (51.9%), third in rushing offense (264.2), fourth in both total offense (466.6) and team pass efficiency (161.64), seventh in both scoring offense (36.9) and yards per completion (14.37), 16th in first downs (157) and 20th on fourth-down conversions (62.1%).

A total of eight offensive starters were named All-Patriot in 2024, including five on the First Team. Among those were running back Jordan Fuller, who led the FCS in rushing touchdowns (18), total touchdowns (19) and scoring per game (11.4), and wide receiver Jalen Coker, who led the nation in receiving touchdowns (15) and was invited to the NFL Combine before signing with the Carolina Panthers.

In his first season with Holy Cross in 2022, the program posted just its fifth double-digit win season in history, setting a single-season wins record with a 12-1 mark. An 11-0 regular-season earned Holy Cross the No. 8 seed for the FCS playoffs and reached the national quarterfinals.

One of the top offenses in the subdivision the Crusaders, led by Sluka, ranked second in FCS in yards per completion (16.2), sixth in rushing offense (245.1 yards per game) and eighth in scoring offense (37.4 points per game). Sluka finished with 1,234 rushing yards, the most of any FCS quarterback, while passing for 2,489 yards. He passed for 26 touchdowns while rushing for 11 more.

Holy Cross finished the regular season with an 11-0 record, marking the third time in program history and first time since 1991 it had achieved the feat. Its quarterfinal appearance was also a first for the team since 1983. Holy Cross finished the year with a No. 6 ranking among all FCS teams as a result of numerous marquee wins, including a hail mary victory against FBS foe Buffalo and an overtime win over nationally ranked Fordham. The Crusaders also earned their first win at Harvard since 2000 and defeated Harvard and Yale in the same season for the first time in program history.

Prior to Holy Cross, Kennedy spent four seasons in the SEC at Florida (2018-21). While finishing his stint in Gainesville as assistant quarterbacks coach, he also served as an offensive quality control coach, as well as a graduate assistant. Aside from coaching duties, Kennedy assisted the Gators with recruiting in Atlanta and Southern Georgia and aided in the coaching of quarterback Kyle Trask, who finished fourth in voting for the 2020 Heisman Trophy.

Before Florida, Kennedy was an offensive graduate assistant at Mississippi State (2017). He began his career at ASA College (2015-16), where he was quarterbacks coach in his first year before being elevated to offensive coordinator in year two.

A native of Scituate, Mass., Kennedy was a standout quarterback at the University of Rochester, where he earned All-Liberty League first team honors his senior season.