Bremerton's praying coach returns to the sidelines, for now

After an eight-year legal battle that culminated in a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in his favor, Bremerton High School’s praying football coach, Joe Kennedy, returns to the sidelines Friday. And he is ready to both pray and play, at least for one game.

Kennedy, who left his position in 2015 after the school district raised concerns about the post-game prayers he was leading at the 50-yard line, said he felt both excited and nervous to be back.

He likened the legal battle he’s been through to a boxing match where he kept getting knocked down and had to find the will to keep on fighting. After the court ruling, the school district reinstated him as assistant coach.

“Imagine being knocked down for seven rounds and being able to stand up for that eighth and final round,” Kennedy told KUOW. “We did that. We won, and now I get to finish the race I started before.”

Does that mean he plans to lead a prayer at the 50-yard line after Friday’s home opener against Mount Douglas?

“Absolutely,” he said.

RELATED: What does Kennedy v. Bremerton SD mean for how schools handle religious speech?

But questions remain about Kennedy’s long-term plans. He did little to quell those during an interview Friday with KUOW. When asked about his intentions to stay on as a coach and move his family back to Bremerton from their home in Florida, Kennedy hedged.

“The only thing I asked for is to be a coach and to be able to pray after a football game,” he said. “And I’ve been waiting eight years for that moment and that’s Friday. After that, I’m sure God will give me some kind of insight into what’s next, but I’m leaving that on His plate instead of mine.”

Pray to play: Bremerton coach controvery

Back in 2015, the school district raised concerns about the post-game prayers after some players said they felt pressured to join in despite their differing views. If they prayed, they felt they could gain favor with Coach Kennedy and potentially win more playing time.

The district attempted to make accommodations and put Kennedy on paid leave near the end of the season after a series of mid-field prayer sessions that included students and state lawmakers.

Despite repeated claims that Kennedy was fired, he was not. He failed to reapply for the coaching position, which was an annual, one-year contract. Instead, he filed suit against the district for violating his First Amendment rights.

In the ensuing eight years, Kennedy said he has received a lot of support for his stand, but also concern from other coaches worried about praying and potentially losing their jobs as a result, even though Kennedy himself did not fall into that category.

RELATED: Does SCOTUS ruling on public school prayer cross the line dividing church and state?

Kennedy insists that his post-game prayers were never mandatory, and players were free to take part or not without fear of positive or negative consequences.

He said the ruling by the nation’s highest court demonstrates that expressing his faith during a public sporting event is protected by the Constitution.

“People don’t have to hide who they are,” he said. “They can be proud of their faith and be able to stand with knowing they are protected under the First Amendment.”

So far, Kennedy said his return to Bremerton has been mixed. He said he has been embraced by the community and, over time, earned the trust of the new coaching staff. But he also said the school district has been less forthcoming, and that they refer to him as “the eight-year distraction.”

“And that’s not really embracing your employee and making them feel welcome,” he said. “I didn’t look at as me versus the school district, but a lot of people did.”

For the moment, Kennedy is focused on his new role as assistant coach and getting up to speed. The coaching staff is all new, and the new head coach has implemented new offensive and defensive schemes that have him feeling his age.

“I feel like incoming freshmen having to learn a playbook all over again,” he said.

Under the Friday night lights, all eyes from the “Military Night” crowd in Bremerton will be on the scoreboard and on what happens after the final whistle blows.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been amended to more accurately reflect the circumstances surrounding Kennedy's departure from the Bremerton High School football coaching staff. Kennedy did not resign, nor was he fired. Rather, he did not reapply for a one-year position after he was put on paid leave at the end of the 2015 football season.