BD Kennedy returns to lead Team Sweden as the IFAF EC and World Championships loom
Graphics: Igor Lazarevic
BD Kennedy returns as head coach of Team Sweden when the squad heads into EC the qualification phase this autumn with the final goal to reach The 2023 World Championships.
Together with the also returning director general Robert Sundberg, Kennedy led Sweden to EC the 2021 title match when they were defeated by Team Italy.
Kennedy served as general manager of Carlstad Crusaders in 2022 after returning to coach the team from 2019 to 2021. During that tenure, he guided the team to two Swedish title game won once, 2020.
The lovable native of Blanchard, Oklahoma returned to Swedish national team in 2019 and took the team all the way to the European finals in 2021. During that time, Sweden defeated Russia, Great Britain and Finland ahead of the title match against Italy. This was Kennedy’s second stint with Team Sweden. Kennedy served as Team Sweden offensive coordinator when the team won EC 2005 and head coach in 2007.
Kennedy originally came into being Carlstad 2002 as head coach, serving for three seasons before moving to Arlanda Jets 2005 where he stayed until 2012. He has served in a number of capacities at the club and coached Crusaders U19 team as well as working as both an offensive line coach for the men’s team and as an offensive coordinator. The Crusader teams he coached in the early 2000s reached three Swedish Super Series finals as well as to win 2003 EFAF Cup Championship over Austria’s Swarco Raiders after a 24+ hour bus ride one way to Austria. With Arlanda, he reached Swedish the final in 2008.
Before you come to Sweden, Kennedy was a graduate assistant at Baylor University for two seasons, offensive line coach at Hutchinson Community College for two seasons, and offensive line coach at Washburn University for 11 seasons.
Kennedy and Sundberg have assembled an impressive coaching staff with, among others, Robert Johansson as offensive coordinator and Patrik Lundqvist as defensive coordinator. Among the leading coaches are Joakim Holm, Erik Ahlberg, Matthew Retzlaff, Robin Jutwreten and former national team coach Andreas Ehrenreich.