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Hauck to Illinois

5280Griz said:
Ah Yat wouldn’t play at Illinois this season, they have a returning 3 year starter at qb. At running back they had a running back committee with both returning so Gillman might not play either.
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Wrong. The starter declared for nfl. Illinois got the 2-yr East Carolina starter who also started at Michigan State as redshirt frosh.
 
He repeated his lack of enjoyment in what the head coaching job has become in this new era of NIL and the portal:
www.espn.com

Illinois hires former Montana coach Bobby Hauck as DC

Former Montana coach Bobby Hauck ended his brief retirement to become the defensive coordinator at Illinois.
www.espn.com www.espn.com

Funny thing is, he was actually pretty good at it ... but if you don't enjoy what you're doing, why keep at it? Unless you have no choice. He's a little too young to just kick back, so this makes total sense. This way, he can still coach young men (the fun part), but doesn't have the lead role in dealing with players who are just shopping for a better deal. Old fashioned? Maybe, but – at his age – why not? A few other points: (1) If I'm not mistaken, the kids are pretty much grown and on their own. (2) They have not yet announced his salary, but the last Illinois DC was paid a base of $700,000 and it went up from there. Would be surprised if he won't at least double, if not triple his salary. (3) Wonder how long before he Hauck takes a role in Special Team coaching?
 
CDAGRIZ said:
I know it’s the job of the Bobposters to try to make something more out of this than a dude who didn’t want to be a HC anymore quitting and taking a coordinator job, but I’m just not convinced there is.

It’s not a “smoke/fire” situation like a coordinator drunkenly crashing a university vehicle, calling a “friend” for a Switcheroo, and then getting a reward. Or another coach getting a reward for his third arrest. Or magic vitamins that stay in players’ systems for 18 months. Or anything like that.
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POTY
 
Griz in Texas said:
So what if he did have this cooking when he stepped down? It didn't do anything to me or anyone else on here. Like none of you would take that kind of pay raise, Bobby doesn't owe anyone an explanation, but just maybe it was too much money to pass up for him and not having to hear from people like so many here that are negative about every move he makes.
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Notre Dame announced the Illinois coach coming to them yesterday.
 
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5280Griz said:
Ah Yat wouldn’t play at Illinois this season, they have a returning 3 year starter at qb. At running back they had a running back committee with both returning so Gillman might not play either.
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Pretty sure Luke Altmyer is headed to the draft.
 
GriznMN said:
Congrats Bobby! I fully support your move and hope you do well in the Big Ten. See you in Minnesota when the Golden Gophers play the Fighting Illini.

I will laugh my ass off if Bobby runs the 4-2-5 at Illinois. Of course, he might not have a choice in which defense he runs.
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He's not going to do well because it's been clear for years that he knows fuckall about building a good defense.
 
mthoopsfan said:
Notre Dame announced the Illinois coach coming to them yesterday.
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Just to be totally clear, the Irish hired away the Illinois Defensive Coordinator. Had me going there, because I was confused about which coach (Head?) you meant. BTW, the article was not that high on the DC's performance at Illinois.
www.nytimes.com

Bobby Hauck joining Illinois as DC after stepping down as head coach at Montana

"A lot of the head coach stuff in current day Division I college football is not enjoyable," Hauck said upon stepping down at Montana.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
 
5280Griz said:
Doesn’t mean he is their guy the same way a returning starter would be and they wouldn’t be open to a competition.
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Yes, it does. He has started 3 years, Michigan State, and East Carolina the last two years. He's a big guy and a dual-threat QB, which is apparently what the OC likes. He was one of the top QB's in the portal. A 4-star out of high school.
 
5280Griz said:
Illinois has a returning 3 year starter at qb
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mthoopsfan said:
There is zero chance he resigned to take the Illinois job. The timing doesn’t work.

Settling what kind of score?
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The timing absolutely works. Bobby was the 2025 AFCA President, where he served with Bielema on that board throughout 2025. Bobby gave his talk and likely had numerous chats with Bielema Jan 11-13, 2026.

Notre Dame was looking around for DC help later in January. Freeman pulled the trigger on Feb. 1.

Bielema had to have been talking to Bobby between late Jan and the night of Feb 3 when Bobby resigned.

Score? The athletic dept for not extending him would be high on the list!
 
Counter Assault said:
The timing absolutely works. Bobby was the 2025 AFCA President, where he served with Bielema on that board throughout 2025. Bobby gave his talk and likely had numerous chats with Bielema Jan 11-13, 2026.

Notre Dame was looking around for DC help later in January. Freeman pulled the trigger on Feb. 1.

Bielema had to have been talking to Bobby between late Jan and the night of Feb 3 when Bobby resigned.

Score? The athletic dept for not extending him would be high on the list!
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Pepe_Silvia.jpg
 
Bobcat99 said:
I don't blame Bobby for leaving at all, I can completely understand being sick of what college football is.

"Retiring" so your new team doesn't have to pay a buyout to the team and program you love and care so much about? That's dirty! If Vigen did that you guys would rightfully be killing him for it.

If Haslem has any balls at all he'll pursue a buyout from Illinois. That $250k adds for us smaller programs.
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You don't know that he hasn't done it.
 
Counter Assault said:
There is zero chance Bobby didn’t have this cooking for at least a while. What you all should be, rightfully, pissed off about is that Bobby forced an interim coach on you and threw the players and program slightly into turmoil. It most definitely looks like he is settling a score on his way out.
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Total BS.
 
Cowboys84 said:
Hauck was yapping in his retirement speech how coaching in today's college football wasnt fun anymore, how he didn't enjoy going to the office anymore and roughly a week later takes this job at Illinois.. guys a piece of crap.
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He was talking about being a HEAD coach, not about coaching in general.
 
Marty Mornhinweg spoke eloquently about it on Colter's show: "Change isn't bad in fact it can be great! if done properly. " Griz Nation will belabor "properly" for eternity, but looks to me like legally nothing was breached, the hit to the team and coaching staff minimal, Bobby at 61 finds a job that pays better and isn't onerous to him. Two words: Go Griz.
 
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