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Hauck tasked with making Grizzlies relevant in football again

IdahoGrizFan

Well-known member
News is as unlikely as rain at college football’s mid-July conference gabfests, unless Nick Saban announces he’s changed his brand of coffee filters.

As the coaches of the Big Sky Conference gathered in Spokane for probing and prodding on Monday, the drought was especially dire. The one woulda-been cloudburst – Montana State coach Jeff Choate benching the Bobcats’ starting quarterback for the year with the order to introduce himself to his textbooks – was released last week. This, sadly, pre-empted any hyperventilating here.

There was this, however:

“The coaches picked us to finish seventh,” said new Montana coach Bobby Hauck, “so that’s a little different.”

Because it never happened to old Montana coach Bobby Hauck.

Which, of course, is why he’s new Montana coach Bobby Hauck now.

For the moment, his rehiring at UM last December simply prolongs the Big Sky’s longest-running subtext. While other programs have found their championship footing – Eastern Washington across a decade, Weber State and Southern Utah of late – the once regal Grizzlies have slogged through the criminal courts, NCAA probation, the New York Times best-seller list and the middle of the standings. Sometimes it’s not clear which the fan base finds more distasteful.

Now comes the soap-opera twist: the return of a character once written out of the script.

Has to feel a little weird, right?

“Not at all,” insisted Hauck. “The only time it was kind of surreal was walking out for the first spring practice on that field. I told (his coaches), ‘This is wild. I can’t believe we’re here.’”

Others in Missoula know the feeling.

Between 2003 and 2009, Hauck’s Grizzlies won 82 percent of their games, finished atop the Big Sky every year and reached three FCS title games – a run of staggering dominance. That didn’t carry over into his next head coaching gig at UNLV, but after some reputation rehab on Rocky Long’s staff at San Diego State, there was considerable sentiment to bring him back to UM last fall when Bob Stitt happened to be the wrong guy at the wrong time. A petition calling for Hauck’s return collected a few thousand signatures and some big donors reportedly flexed their muscles.

But there was also substantial pushback in Missoula from those who believed the violent off-field behavior issues – rape, assault, theft – that put the Grizzlies in the headlines beyond game day were rooted in attitudes fostered in the Hauck era, even as much of it happened after his departure.

It’s hardly a surprise that he resists the notion.

“I always held guys accountable,” he insisted. “We have no problem standing on our record of what we produced in that program.”

Maybe, then, it wasn’t his disciplinary record so much as his character judgments. In any case, he’s not worrying much about his detractors.

“Like any other profession, you’re never going to get 100 percent,” Hauck said. “We’ll embrace and welcome anyone who wants to jump on board and not worry about the others too much because they’re always going to exist.”

Nonetheless, there is some language in his UM contract addressing player conduct that wasn’t in Stitt’s (or in Choate’s, for that matter), though it looks to have been lawyered down into expectations with few specifics.

But that’s Montana’s concern. More relevant to the Big Sky is whether he can even approach his earlier success – and he credits his stint at San Diego State with “reinforcing all the things I held to be true as to how to build a program and win games.”

“We have a powerful place,” Hauck said. “Grizzly football is important to people there. I don’t see any reason why we can’t work our tails off and get back to a place where we’re winning championships.”

Even if the landscape has changed?

“See, I don’t think the league has changed,” he contended.

He’s wrong. Eastern is a different animal now. Programs like Weber and Southern Utah are better resourced and prepared to compete than they were a decade ago – and it’s true of the Big Sky’s middle class, too. Now Idaho has rejoined the Big Sky, a year removed from an FBS bowl victory.

And the Griz have misplaced their mystique.

“The league has changed,” agreed EWU coach Aaron Best. “But Bobby will put his stamp on things. It’ll be interesting to see how the roster he inherited becomes the roster he wants and how long that will take. I think he’ll find new challenges now that he didn’t have eight or nine years ago.

“I think the balance the Big Sky’s had is healthy. I don’t think it’s bad that someone says they have a chance.”

But that includes the Grizzlies, too. It’s a better league when they’re legit.

“I know this,” Hauck said. “For us not to have a championship since 2009 is probably not good enough.”

And the news drought continues.
 
That 2011 team won a Big Sky championship when they walked off that field in Bozeman. Don't care what hot dogs have to say about it.
 
HelenaHandBasket said:
Griz are not even "relevant".
It’s sadly true IMO. I’ve felt that way for some time. Last year when Weber made us look like dog shit it was obvious


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hm.grwn.grizfan said:
HelenaHandBasket said:
Griz are not even "relevant".
It’s sadly true IMO. I’ve felt that way for some time. Last year when Weber made us look like dog shit it was obvious


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m so sick of spoiled fans. Is top 30 in 120 plus teams relevant? Holy crap. UM just went through what some bandwagon fans want to lambaste as the worst time in UM history. What a joke. So in a time when some of you want to bitch and complain about above average records it really wasn’t that bad and could have been far worse.

Do we all wish it was better sure. But what happened for 20 years was NOT the norm it was a curve breaker.

Come back to the reality that almost every team in the FCS would take the record that UM had the last 7 years.

Y’all just plain spoiled
 
51-31 in the last seven years, with exactly one losing record (5-6) Not what we might want but far better then the chicken little s would lead you to believe
 
If you are not winning the BSC, not getting into the playoffs, and not able to win in the playoffs, are you "relevant" in FCS football? The Griz used to be "relevant"....not so much lately. If wanting these things is spoiled, then I suggest you become a Scat fan.
 
HelenaHandBasket said:
If you are not winning the BSC, not getting into the playoffs, and not able to win in the playoffs, are you "relevant" in FCS football? The Griz used to be "relevant"....not so much lately. If wanting these things is spoiled, then I suggest you become a Scat fan.

Do you actually know anything about football? I haven’t checked but would bet you that 51-31 is in the top 25 records inFCS or the last 7 years. So that means 90+ teams are worse off.

Actually running down a team because they don’t fulfill your needs is truly cat like so I suggest you jump off the wagon into a blue and yellow vat of paint
 
Paytonlives said:
HelenaHandBasket said:
If you are not winning the BSC, not getting into the playoffs, and not able to win in the playoffs, are you "relevant" in FCS football? The Griz used to be "relevant"....not so much lately. If wanting these things is spoiled, then I suggest you become a Scat fan.

Do you actually know anything about football? I haven’t checked but would bet you that 51-31 is in the top 25 records inFCS or the last 7 years. So that means 90+ teams are worse off.

Actually running down a team because they don’t fulfill your needs is truly cat like so I suggest you jump off the wagon into a blue and yellow vat of paint

Guess the definition of "relevant" amongst FCS is lost on some. I guess some people are OK with finishing in the middle of the BSC, making the playoffs every 3 years, and maybe winning a playoff game once every 7. That seems "relevant". Guess to be a Griz fan you must be okay with being maybe a tick better than average. I have not once felt over the past 5 years that the Griz were capable of winning a National Championship, and don't see it as possible this coming season or the following season really. Guess I am just a bad fan...realistic...but bad.
 
Am I the only one that feels whenever I read a quote from another BigSky coach or fan about Bobby being back, there always seems to be a strong undertone of fear and denial???

Every coach always says...oh its different this time..its different for sure...oh Bobby will have different challenges.

It all just comes off as anxiety just because Bobby is back..and he was such a miserable prick to lose to when he was here before.
 
Paytonlives said:
I’m so sick of spoiled fans. Is top 30 in 120 plus teams relevant?

Well if you remove the Ivy league, the non/low scholarship leagues like the Pioneer or NEC, the SWAC, most of the MEAC, and so forth, how many teams are you left with? Because finishing top 30 out of 60 teams that actually fully compete in FCS is not impressive.

And even that is assuming teams like Idaho State or Indiana State could be considered fully invested.
 
Silenoz said:
Paytonlives said:
I’m so sick of spoiled fans. Is top 30 in 120 plus teams relevant?

Well if you remove the Ivy league, the non/low scholarship leagues like the Pioneer or NEC, the SWAC, most of the MEAC, and so forth, how many teams are you left with? Because finishing top 30 out of 60 teams that actually fully compete in FCS is not impressive.

And even that is assuming teams like Idaho State or Indiana State could be considered fully invested.

And if you take away all the Republicans then Hillary would be president.
 
Paytonlives said:
Silenoz said:
Paytonlives said:
I’m so sick of spoiled fans. Is top 30 in 120 plus teams relevant?

Well if you remove the Ivy league, the non/low scholarship leagues like the Pioneer or NEC, the SWAC, most of the MEAC, and so forth, how many teams are you left with? Because finishing top 30 out of 60 teams that actually fully compete in FCS is not impressive.

And even that is assuming teams like Idaho State or Indiana State could be considered fully invested.

And if you take away all the Republicans then Hillary would be president.

Or if you chose a president by sheer number of votes she would be president. :thumb:
 
Ursa Major said:
Paytonlives said:
Silenoz said:
Paytonlives said:
I’m so sick of spoiled fans. Is top 30 in 120 plus teams relevant?

Well if you remove the Ivy league, the non/low scholarship leagues like the Pioneer or NEC, the SWAC, most of the MEAC, and so forth, how many teams are you left with? Because finishing top 30 out of 60 teams that actually fully compete in FCS is not impressive.

And even that is assuming teams like Idaho State or Indiana State could be considered fully invested.

And if you take away all the Republicans then Hillary would be president.

Or if you chose a president by sheer number of votes she would be president. :thumb:

Good god lets not go there. Please. For the love of all that is holy. STOP!
 
AZGrizFan said:
Ursa Major said:
Paytonlives said:
Silenoz said:
Well if you remove the Ivy league, the non/low scholarship leagues like the Pioneer or NEC, the SWAC, most of the MEAC, and so forth, how many teams are you left with? Because finishing top 30 out of 60 teams that actually fully compete in FCS is not impressive.

And even that is assuming teams like Idaho State or Indiana State could be considered fully invested.

And if you take away all the Republicans then Hillary would be president.

Or if you chose a president by sheer number of votes she would be president. :thumb:

Good god lets not go there. Please. For the love of all that is holy. STOP!

You can talk to Payton about that.
 
I don’t consider myself spoiled at all. I have been there through the good and bad cheering my ass off and haven’t lost that excitement for all things Griz (though I did gripe quite a lot during the stitt years). I just have high expectations. Having grown up with a Griz team that never lost, it’s not really that surprising that I and many others born after 85’ have extreme expectations. I also don’t consider it a bad thing to expect to win, just means that the program has done well and likely will heal up and excel again with the right leadership.


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Paytonlives said:
Silenoz said:
Paytonlives said:
I’m so sick of spoiled fans. Is top 30 in 120 plus teams relevant?

Well if you remove the Ivy league, the non/low scholarship leagues like the Pioneer or NEC, the SWAC, most of the MEAC, and so forth, how many teams are you left with? Because finishing top 30 out of 60 teams that actually fully compete in FCS is not impressive.

And even that is assuming teams like Idaho State or Indiana State could be considered fully invested.

And if you take away all the Republicans then Hillary would be president.

So Montana football is relevant right now, so long as we're including Brown, Jackson State and Campbell as part of that equation. And not so much the Weber States or South Dakota States of the world. Got it.
 
Great Day To Be An Eagle said:
:lol: :lol:
wbtfg said:

...I mean, look at EWU. Undeniable proof that anyone can be successful at this level, regardless of resources, location, people caring, eye-searing turf, etc. It can't be that hard. There really is no excuse for UM and MSU's continued incompetence.
 
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