How a Handwritten Note Led Dean Kennedy to Bob Chesney and UCLA
UCLA offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy explained how a handwritten note connected him to Bob Chesney years ago.
Dean Kennedy, the offensive coordinator, has been working closely with head coach Bob Chesney at UCLA for a number of years. Kennedy's path to this collaboration began with a handwritten note. Before he met Chesney, Kennedy had spent four years coaching at Florida, where he held various roles including assistant quarterbacks coach, offensive quality control coach, and graduate assistant.
A mentor of Kennedy's advised him to write handwritten letters to every coach he wanted to connect with. Kennedy followed this advice and sent around 290 letters, receiving only two responses. One of those responses was from Chesney. Kennedy's mentor's advice proved fruitful when he received a handwritten note from Chesney, who praised Kennedy and Florida's coaching staff in the letter, expressing admiration for Kennedy's team's offensive play.
A year later, Chesney hired Kennedy as a quarterbacks coach at Holy Cross, where he later advanced to the position of offensive coordinator. Chesney's letter also acknowledged two charities Kennedy was involved with, one founded by Kennedy's parents and the other by his siblings, memorializing Kennedy's late father. Kennedy's experience with Chesney's generosity and support demonstrated for him the kind of person Chesney was. Now, Kennedy and Chesney are set to begin their first season together on UCLA's coaching staff.
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