Is this the reason for the results we are seeing? Brent Vigen - Bobby Hauck Contract Incentives

[GriznMN]

I pulled this from AI so I don't know if this is accurate. I will update if someone points out the inaccuracies.

When you lay Brent Vigen’s and Bobby Hauck’s contracts side‑by‑side, you see two athletic departments with very different ideas about what a head coach should be rewarded for.​

Montana State’s structure is broad, granular, and business‑oriented. It treats the head coach as a CEO of a growth‑stage enterprise: fundraising, scheduling, ticket sales, and deep playoff advancement are all monetized. Vigen’s incentives read like a blueprint for building a national‑profile FCS program — one that grows revenue, expands donor engagement, and consistently pushes into late December.

Montana’s structure is traditional, stability‑driven, and culture‑centric. Hauck’s incentives emphasize academics, attendance, and regular‑season success. UM’s contract reflects a program that already has a massive fan base, a national brand, and a long history of playoff appearances. The incentives reward maintaining that standard rather than expanding it.

In short:

• MSU pays Vigen to grow the program.
• UM pays Hauck to sustain the program.

 

[GriznMN]

Comparison Table​

Category	Brent Vigen – Montana State	Bobby Hauck – Montana
Base Salary	$295,000	$265,000
Retention Bonus	$50,000 every July 1	$50,000 every April 1
Media/Appearance Guarantees	$80,000 for radio/TV + $30,000 for fundraising/booster events	Guaranteed media bonus (undisclosed) + $40,000 for public appearances
Fundraising Incentives	$25,000 if Bobcat Club raises $500k–999k; $50,000 if ≥$1M	None listed
Scheduling Bonuses	$55,000 for Power 4 game; $25,000 for Group of 6 game	$75,000 for playing ≥1 FBS opponent
Home Game Bonus	$25,000 for 7+ regular‑season home games	$50,000 for 7+ regular‑season home games
Academic Incentives	GPA, APR, GSR bonuses (various amounts)	GPA, APR, GSR bonuses (tiered and more detailed)
Ticket Sales Incentives	$7,500 for selling ≥10,000 season tickets + more for each additional 1,000	$5,000–$20,000 depending on season tickets sold (17,500–19,000)
Coach of the Year Awards	$10,000 for Big Sky or national COY	$5,000 for Big Sky COY; $5,000 for Eddie Robinson COY
Non‑Conference FCS Win Bonus	$5,000 for beating a playoff‑qualifying FCS team	$5,000 for beating a recent playoff FCS team
Ranked Win Bonus	Not specified	$2,500 for beating a Top‑25 FCS team
Win Total Bonuses	$7,500 each for 8, 9, and 10+ wins	$8,000 for 9 wins; $11,000 for 10 wins (not cumulative)
Conference Championship	$12,500 for Big Sky title	$12,000 for Big Sky title
Playoff Incentives	Extensive: bonuses for qualifying, advancing to each round, hosting games, and winning national title ($50,000)	No round‑by‑round playoff bonuses listed in contract reporting
FBS Win Bonus	$10,000 for beating an FBS team	Not listed (only for playing an FBS team)
Buyout Structure	Detailed, declining annually	Not detailed in reporting

 

[RayWill]

Well this also lays out part of the disparity as well. Truth is that MSU recievs larger subsidies from the state with larger donations from private fundraising as well. MSU has more money these days than UM.

 

[PDXGrizzly]

Well this also lays out part of the disparity as well. Truth is that MSU re eives larger subsidizing from state with larger donations from private fundraising as well. MSU has more money these days than UM.

Yup. The research funding disparity alone is north of $100M is 2024. There is nothing that Montana is doing that is on the same level. That needs to change.

 

[GrizinTN]

Well this also lays out part of the disparity as well. Truth is that MSU re eives larger subsidizing from state with larger donations from private fundraising as well. MSU has more money these days than UM.

If this is true, the road uphill will be that much tougher.

 

[PDXGrizzly]

If this is true, the road uphill will be that much tougher.

The comparison between Oregon and Oregon State or Michigan and Michigan State that I’ve been making is about right then. And I hate it.

 

[UMcheer2000]

The comparison between Oregon and Oregon State or Michigan and Michigan State that I’ve been making is about right then. And I hate it.

And what is the president going to do about this…

 

[GrizinTN]

The comparison between Oregon and Oregon State or Michigan and Michigan State that I’ve been making is about right then. And I hate it.

Yeah, I candidly wasn’t aware of the disparity, much less how large it is. Really eye-opening and certainly explains a lot about the comparative trajectories of the two programs. Sad to see.

 

[PDXGrizzly]

Yeah, I candidly wasn’t aware of the disparity, much less how large it is. Really eye-opening and certainly explains a lot about the comparative trajectories of the two programs. Sad to see.

More light needs to be brought to this. It shows which program is more valuable and desirable in this day and age. It will take a generation to reach parity again, if at all.

 

[grizfnz]

Yup. The research funding disparity alone is north of $100M is 2024. There is nothing that Montana is doing that is on the same level. That needs to change.

They had a jumpstart on research funding as they had R1 designation when we did not. It will be interesting to see how much research funding decreases as a whole, given the NIH has been ordered by Trump to cut back on any funding which doesn’t align with the current administration’s policies.

 

[PDXGrizzly]

They had a jumpstart on research funding as they had R1 designation when we did not. It will be interesting to see how much research funding decreases as a whole, given the NIH has been ordered by Trump to cut back on any funding which doesn’t align with the current administration’s policies.

That has a greater effect on UM than it does on the neighbors. Our programs are heavily tied to environmental and NIH biomed stuff that the current administration is de-emphasizing

 

[GrizinTN]

More light needs to be brought to this. It shows which program is more valuable and desirable in this day and age. It will take a generation to reach parity again, if at all.

Couldn’t agree more. First step to fixing an issue is being aware of the issue. This is a ship that needs to be righted and right away.

Will start regularly donating to the NIL group, to help what little I can myself.

 

[PDXGrizzly]

Couldn’t agree more. First step to fixing an issue is being aware of the issue. This is a ship that needs to be righted and right away.

Will start regularly donating to the NIL group, to help what little I can myself.

I already do. Selfishly it makes me feel like I’m helping rather than just bitching on a message board.

 

[Znelson15]

I already do. Selfishly it makes me feel like I’m helping rather than just bitching on a message board.

Same here ...... more people need to do whatever they can small or big to the nil but also I think the university needs to do a. Better job getting it out there. I have heard MSU pushes good on people to donate anything and it all helps, not sure if we are up to par with them in that yet

 

[PDXGrizzly]

Same here ...... more people need to do whatever they can small or big to the nil but also I think the university needs to do a. Better job getting it out there. I have heard MSU pushes good on people to donate anything and it all helps, not sure if we are up to par with them in that yet

Not up to par on a lot of things unfortunately

 

[oldngrizzly]

Bobby's contract next year and then he is retiring:

$75,000 for playing ≥1 FBS opponent

 

[PDXGrizzly]

Next contract should involve an incentive for beating the neighbors and financial penalty for losing. In the $10k range. Make him actually have skin in the game. He might get schemes that work vs whatever the hell he’s using now.

 

[GriznMN]

They had a jumpstart on research funding as they had R1 designation when we did not. It will be interesting to see how much research funding decreases as a whole, given the NIH has been ordered by Trump to cut back on any funding which doesn’t align with the current administration’s policies.

I hate to bring politics into this but with Senator Daines and Rep. Downing from Bozeman, do you think MSU's research funding will be cut by the Trump administration?

 

[Jordan_20]

I hate to bring politics into this but with Senator Daines and Rep. Downing from Bozeman, do you think MSU's research funding will be cut by the Trump administration?

I think the board of regents has been siding with MSU more than UM because the majority of board members are MSU grads or have ties. Also, like you mentioned, Daines is a cat fan and I think Gionforte is too.

 

[Vamos Gatos Vamos]

I pulled this from AI so I don't know if this is accurate. I will update if someone points out the inaccuracies.

When you lay Brent Vigen’s and Bobby Hauck’s contracts side‑by‑side, you see two athletic departments with very different ideas about what a head coach should be rewarded for.​

Montana State’s structure is broad, granular, and business‑oriented. It treats the head coach as a CEO of a growth‑stage enterprise: fundraising, scheduling, ticket sales, and deep playoff advancement are all monetized. Vigen’s incentives read like a blueprint for building a national‑profile FCS program — one that grows revenue, expands donor engagement, and consistently pushes into late December.

Montana’s structure is traditional, stability‑driven, and culture‑centric. Hauck’s incentives emphasize academics, attendance, and regular‑season success. UM’s contract reflects a program that already has a massive fan base, a national brand, and a long history of playoff appearances. The incentives reward maintaining that standard rather than expanding it.

In short:

• MSU pays Vigen to grow the program.
• UM pays Hauck to sustain the program.

No. It's not. Vigen's a better coach, recruiter, likable human, genuine person, and relates to today's college football athletes. He has a broader connection to coaches, which is proven out annually through assistant coaches being poached and replacing them and improving each year Look at the results.