Feb. 13, 2008
Bob Connelly was named UTEP's associate head coach/co-offensive coordinator on Wednesday.
Connelly joins the Miners after spending the 2007 season as offensive line coach at UCLA. He has coached in the Rose Bowl, Sugar Bowl and Cotton Bowl. He has also coached numerous players who have gone on to the NFL, including current pros Calvin Armstrong (Washington), Wesley Britt (New England), Evan Mathis (Carolina), Nick Mihlhauser (Tampa Bay) and Justin Smiley (San Francisco).
"Bob Connelly is the best offensive line coach in college football," UTEP coach Mike Price said. "I hired him at Washington State and he took us to the Rose Bowl, and I hired him at Alabama where he coached for four years before going to UCLA. He is very well respected. He has chosen to come to UTEP because of El Paso's unique quality of life. He and his family, being from Texas, are excited about being back home."
Connelly, 37, helped the Bruins to a Pioneer Las Vegas Bowl appearance this past season. Among UCLA's victims on the way to a six-win season were nationally ranked BYU, California, Oregon and Oregon State.
He was offensive line coach at Alabama from 2003-06. The Crimson Tide appeared in three bowl games during this span, including the 2007 Independence Bowl, 2006 Cotton Bowl and 2004 Music City Bowl.
In 2006, running back Kenneth Darby rushed for 835 yards, left tackle Andre Smith earned first team Freshman All-America honors and center Antoine Caldwell was named second team All-SEC.
Connelly was selected one of the nation's Top 25 recruiters by Rivals.com in 2005. Darby was second in the SEC in rushing and became only the fourth back in Alabama history to rush for over 1,000 yards in back-to-back seasons. Additionally, Caldwell and guard B.J. Stabler were both appointed to the SEC All-Freshman Team.
A pair of Crimson Tide offensive linemen, Wesley Britt and Evan Mathis, garnered All-SEC honors in 2004. Alabama finished the '04 campaign ranked 26th nationally in rushing (185.1 ypg) and second in the SEC in fewest sacks allowed.
In 2003, Connelly's line led a rushing attack that produced 2,067 yards and two All-SEC linemen.
Prior to coaching at Alabama, Connelly was the offensive line coach at Washington State in 2001 and 2002, where he worked under head coach Mike Price. The Cougars posted 10 wins each season, playing in the 2001 Sun Bowl and the 2003 Rose Bowl. The 2002 Cougars allowed just 24 sacks in 424 pass attempts while winning a share of the Pac-10 title. The 2001 squad surrendered 27 sacks in 434 attempts. Derrick Roche - currently a graduate assistant for the Miners -- was a first team All-Pac-10 choice in 2001 and 2002, and Calvin Armstrong was a first team honoree in 2002.
A graduate of Newman-Smith High School in Carrollton, Texas, Connelly attended Texas A&M-Commerce, where he was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter in the offensive line. He was a three-time All-Academic selection, a two-time Academic All-America and garnered All-Conference honors as a junior and senior.
He earned his bachelor of science degree in kinesiology and sports studies from Texas A&M-Commerce in 1994, and added a master's degree in health, physical education and recreation from the school in 1995.
He started his coaching career as the offensive line and tight ends coach at Texas A&M-Commerce, while finishing his graduate degree. He spent the 1996 and 1997 seasons at Cisco Junior College, again coaching the offensive line and tight ends. He was a graduate assistant at Texas A&M in 1998, helping the Aggies to a Sugar Bowl berth. He coached the offensive line and tight ends at Cal State Northridge in 1999, and the offensive line at San Jose State in 2000. The Spartans rushed for 29 touchdowns in 2000, and the offensive line yielded just 11 sacks in 12 games.
Connelly and his wife, Racquel, have two daughters, Taylor (8) and Paige (5).
The Bob Connelly File
Age: 37 (born Feb. 7, 1971)
Birthplace: New Britain, Conn.
Alma Mater: Texas A&M-Commerce `94
Playing Experience: Texas A&M-Commerce (OL, 1991-94)
Bowl Games Coached:
1999 Sugar (Texas A&M)
2001 Sun (Washington State)
2003 Rose (Washington State)
2004 Music City (Alabama)
2006 Cotton (Alabama)
2007 Independence (Alabama)
2007 Pioneer Las Vegas (UCLA)
Coaching Experience:
1995 Offensive Line/Tight Ends Coach Texas A&M-Commerce
1996-97 Offensive Line/Tight Ends Coach Cisco Junior College
1998 Graduate Assistant Texas A&M
1999 Offensive Line/Tight Ends Coach Cal State Northridge
2000 Offensive Line Coach San Jose State
2001-02 Offensive Line Coach Washington State
2003-06 Offensive Line Coach Alabama
2007 Offensive Line Coach UCLA
2008- Associate Head Coach/Co-Offensive Coordinator UTEP
