University Southern California Trojans
Kennedy Pola Named USC Running Backs Coach
December 22, 1999 | Football
Dec. 22, 1999
LOS ANGELES - Kennedy Pola, a former USC fullback in the mid-1980s who has been an assistant coach at UCLA, Colorado and most recently San Diego State, was named USC's running backs coach, Trojan head coach Paul Hackett announced today.
He will also work some with USC's special teams.
Hackett also announced that Hue Jackson, who was USC's quarterbacks coach in his first season at Troy in 1997 before handling the running backs the past 2 seasons, will return to working with the quarterbacks while continuing to serve as offensive coordinator.
"It's great to welcome a Trojan back home," said Hackett. "Kennedy brings with him the experience he has gained in the detailed coaching of running backs and in recruiting, where he has been a force in Southern California.
"Having Hue coaching the quarterbacks and coordinating the offense is a logical progression. I'm excited about our restructured offensive staff."
Pola, 36, spent 1999 as the linebackers coach at San Diego State, working under former USC head coach Ted Tollner.
He coached the running backs at Colorado in 1997 and 1998. The 1998 Buffalo team won the Aloha Bowl.
Before that, he spent 3 years (1994 to 1996) as San Diego State's running backs coach, guiding a pair of 1,000-yard rushers (Wayne Pittman in 1994 and George Jones in 1995). Jones, who was 32 yards shy of 1,000 yards in 1996, won All-WAC first team honors in 1995 and has played in the NFL with Pittsburgh and Jacksonville. Pola also worked with the Aztecs special teams (in 1996, punter Noel Prefontaine was an All-American first teamer, placekicker Peter Holt was runnerup for the Lou Groza Award given to the nation's top kicker and return specialist Leandrew Childs was an All-WAC first team pick).
Pola was a graduate assistant coach at UCLA in 1992 and 1993, working with the secondary and special teams. The 1993 Bruins squad played in the Rose Bowl.
He began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at Crespi High in Encino, Calif., for 3 seasons (1985-88) and then Westlake High in Westlake Village (Calif.) for 3 years (1989-91). Crespi won the 1986 CIF Division I championship and he coached prep All-American running back Russell White, who starred at California.
Pola was a 4-year letterman (1982-85) at USC, playing both fullback and linebacker. He began his Trojan career as a backup linebacker, but was moved to fullback by midseason of his freshman year. He ended up starting there the last 2 games of 1982 against UCLA and Notre Dame, as well as most of the next 3 seasons. In his career, he ran for 681 yards (he also caught 23 passes and in 1983 threw a 65-yard scoring pass against Stanford). He helped USC to a victory over Ohio State in the 1985 Rose Bowl (he also played in the 1985 Aloha Bowl).
He earned his bachelor's degree in history from USC in 1987.
He attended at Mater Dei High in Santa Ana, Calif., where he was a prep All-American in football (he also was on the basketball and track teams).
His nephew, Troy Polamalu, is a freshman safety on the USC football team. His brother, Al, played football at Penn State. Nephew Nicky Sualua has played running back in the NFL with Dallas and Cincinnati after attending Ohio State, while another nephew, Leie Sualua, was a defensive lineman at Oregon.
He was born in Pago Pago, American Samoa, on Nov. 22, 1963, the same day President John F. Kennedy was assassinated (Pola was named in his honor).
He and his wife, Diane, have 3 sons: K.C. (Kennedy Christopher), 8, Matthew Aoatoa, 5, and Raymond Trey, 2.
