CLOSE-UP : At Kennedy, Bob Stevens Lends a Perfect Harmony

Bob Stevens made a living for years by singing like a bird, so perhaps it stands to reason he is as happy as a lark.

Formerly lead singer of the Checkmates, a soul group from the 1960s and ‘70s, Stevens is in his fifth season as walk-on coach of the junior varsity girls basketball team at Kennedy High. And he is partly responsible for the phenomenal success of the Cougar program, according to varsity Coach Craig Raub.

“I’m hooked,” Stevens said. “It’s very rewarding being part of something like Kennedy basketball. Another group of kids comes along every year and you become attached to them just like you did with the last group.”

Stevens is now an independent film producer. He takes time off in the mid-afternoon to coach and returns to work in the evening.

Said Raub: “He kids me and says, ‘You have to teach all day before you can coach. I get to come out for two hours a day and do exactly what I want.’

“Bobby is a gem, a real blessing to our program.”

The varsity basketball team has won 73 consecutive Valley 4-A League games. Raub said roots of the success can be traced to a strong youth program in Granada Hills.

“The time that Bill DeCree and Bob Stevens put into the youth program is a big reason that so many girls come to Kennedy with outstanding skills,” Raub said.

DeCree is responsible for bringing Stevens into the fold.

Said Stevens: “Kids go on to get scholarships, and even though I can take only a tiny, tiny bit of credit, it feels good.”