Anybody who thinks the Griz are a Bobby Hauck (or some other coaching hire) away from a return to "dominance" is delusional. First of all, winning two national championships in 20 years is really stretching the definition of dominance. (See NDSU over the last few years for a more accurate example of dominance).
Sure, Montana won a lot of Big Sky Conference titles over the last 2 decades, but those were in a Big Sky Conference that was severely weakened with the departure of its 3 best teams in Nevada, Boise State, and Idaho. Beating up on a slate of mediocre Big Sky Conference teams (and even worse non-conference opponents) doesn't make you dominant.
Granted, the Griz made some playoff runs during that period. But they did so by buying home playoff games, many of which were in miserably frigid conditions against teams who had traveled 2000+ miles and whose players had never even seen snow before. The Grizzlies' record in playoff games away from home since 1993 is 3-12 for a spectacular .200 winning percentage. Again, not exactly dominant.
Face it - the dominance that you remember and cling to so tightly was basically a mirage. The Griz of the last two decades were like the 6' six grader with a full beard who physically dominated his Pop Warner football competition only to become an average 6' high school senior when his opponents had physically caught up. While Montana football of the last 20 or so years did take advantage of its situation, it had a VERY advantageous situation.
The idea that Montana would be able to hire a coach who could walk in and immediately return the team to "dominance" is almost beyond delusional. What sane coach with any pedigree at all would come to Missoula to be paid a relative pittance and have to hire a staff with near poverty level salaries, only to face the totally unrealistic demands of a deranged fan base? This could only happen in the same fantasy land where the Griz were the dominant FCS team of the last 20 years. In the real world, the Griz will only be able to hire a coach with some flaws and give him some time to develop into somebody who is able to compete in a bigger and better Big Sky Conference. Which is what they did with Bob Stitt. And Bobby Hauck. And Joe Glenn. And Don Read. And every other football coach who has ever been hired at the University of Montana. And it's the way that every future football coach will be hired. Believing that anything else will happen is simply insane.
Sure, Montana won a lot of Big Sky Conference titles over the last 2 decades, but those were in a Big Sky Conference that was severely weakened with the departure of its 3 best teams in Nevada, Boise State, and Idaho. Beating up on a slate of mediocre Big Sky Conference teams (and even worse non-conference opponents) doesn't make you dominant.
Granted, the Griz made some playoff runs during that period. But they did so by buying home playoff games, many of which were in miserably frigid conditions against teams who had traveled 2000+ miles and whose players had never even seen snow before. The Grizzlies' record in playoff games away from home since 1993 is 3-12 for a spectacular .200 winning percentage. Again, not exactly dominant.
Face it - the dominance that you remember and cling to so tightly was basically a mirage. The Griz of the last two decades were like the 6' six grader with a full beard who physically dominated his Pop Warner football competition only to become an average 6' high school senior when his opponents had physically caught up. While Montana football of the last 20 or so years did take advantage of its situation, it had a VERY advantageous situation.
The idea that Montana would be able to hire a coach who could walk in and immediately return the team to "dominance" is almost beyond delusional. What sane coach with any pedigree at all would come to Missoula to be paid a relative pittance and have to hire a staff with near poverty level salaries, only to face the totally unrealistic demands of a deranged fan base? This could only happen in the same fantasy land where the Griz were the dominant FCS team of the last 20 years. In the real world, the Griz will only be able to hire a coach with some flaws and give him some time to develop into somebody who is able to compete in a bigger and better Big Sky Conference. Which is what they did with Bob Stitt. And Bobby Hauck. And Joe Glenn. And Don Read. And every other football coach who has ever been hired at the University of Montana. And it's the way that every future football coach will be hired. Believing that anything else will happen is simply insane.
