When Leahy became the head coach at Boston College, he recruited Connolly to play for him there.
[2] In November 1942, The Boston Globe called him "B. C.'s best all-round athlete, most versatile football player".
After the war, Connolly played in the All-America Football Conference for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1946.
[4] After his playing career, Connolly became a coach at the high school and college level.
[5] Connolly served as head coach of the Musketeers from 1955 to 1958 and complied an overall record of 24–15, but he subsequently resigned in June 1959.