Bobby Hauck, one of the winningest coaches in FCS history, has retired as head coach of the University of Montana football team, the school announced Wednesday, February 4.
Hauck, a Big Timber native and UM alumnus, coached the Grizzlies for 14 seasons over two stints, earning an overall record of 151-43 (.778).
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Receivers coach Bobby Kennedy, a college coach for more than 30 years who joined the Montana staff before last season, will succeed Hauck on a one-year contract. 406 MT Sports reported.
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Kennedy served as an assistant in major programs such as Stanford, Iowa, Colorado, Washington and Texas. With the Longhorns, he was a member of Mack Brown’s staff on the 2005 national championship team with Vince Young at quarterback.
Hauck was number 37th head coach in Montana history and has led the Grizzlies to four national title game appearances (most recently in 2023), eight Big Sky Conference championships, 13 playoff appearances and 20 postseason victories – the third most in FCS history, according to UM.
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Hauck was the winningest active coach after the 2025 season and also accumulated the most overall wins by a Big Sky coach (151) all-time and conference wins (86).
During his departure press conference Wednesday, Hauck told the media that dealing with major changes in college football over the past several years, such as the transfer portal and NIL agreements, was the biggest factor in the decision to resign.
“As a head coach, dealing with what college football has become is not always pleasant,” Hauck said, according to 406 Sports. “I just haven’t enjoyed it enough. I want to enjoy my career and my job. A lot of the head coaching job these days, Division I college football, is not enjoyable.”
Hauck also spoke about his love for the program and said he thought it was time for a change personally.
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“I love the Montana Grizzlies,” he said, according to 406. “I consider this my football program. Whether that’s true or not, that’s what I considered. I think I’ve been a good manager of this football program. We’ve had a lot of success here. But I wasn’t going to let them spread my ashes on the practice field because I dropped dead out there. There comes a time when it’s time to do something else.”
This article was originally published on Great Falls Tribune: Bobby Hauck steps down as Montana Grizzlies football coach
