Twenty-two years ago in early Sept., 2003, Bill MacIntyre, the late-great owner of Pug Mahon's--the quintessential Irish Pub in Billings--myself, his brother in Butte that we picked up in Butte, and a friend of mine from Billings attended Bobby's very first home game as our head coach, the inaugural game for our new and huge NEZ.
For those of you that remember the game, Div. II North Dakota State, soon to move to 1-AA, beat us, something like 25-24, as Bison Coach Craig Bohl directed a furious and successful 2nd half comeback that ruined the new NEZ and our new HC's debut.
Mac and his brother were excited to be at the game to watch their nephew Shane MacIntyre, one of our starting LB's. After the disappointing loss, the four of us beat feet to The Edgewater for the post-game GSA function with Bobby. As we walked into the room, a guy that I think was from the AD's office, was just outside and to the side of the entrance giving Bobby a little pep talk, knowing our new, young HC was probably going to get some tough questions following this disappointing loss.
So I raised my hand and asked Bobby something like, " Why are we playing our O linemen out of position on the O line ? (G's playing T, T playing G's, and a G playing C. )
Bobby's response, " We have to play our 5 best O lineman," and he went on to say that our O lineman are trained to play more than one position on our O line. And while Bobby answered my question, his blue eyes firmly locked on me and stared intently and fiercely on me--I had the feeling that while he was polite and terse, he really wanted to choke me out had we been the only two in this large conference room !!!
Bobby is a great head coach, and I support him 100 %. I know several of the Haucks, and all are friendly and easy going, but Bobby, at least when I am around him which, granted, is very little, is not that way. I do know that in the past, he would take the sports anchor from KPAX fly fishing, so he doesn't hate all reporters, and he does have a softer, friendlier side. But he is also the son of an old US Marine, and growing up, he learned that Marine Corps discipline from his dad, which has helped make him such a successful coach, and also how to show someone he doesn't like his open hostility towards that individual.
When I heard he was rude to Frank at the post-game press conference, not knowing exactly what happened, the first thought I had is Bobby has some history with Frank and it isn't good. !!!