Breath of fresh air for Grizzlies
8/19/2003 12:00:00 AM | Football
The former University of Montana running back, now a Butte lawyer, was in a celebratory mood Tuesday.
Watching this year's UM football players work out behind Bulldog Memorial Stadium at the East Middle School Fogarty Complex, Wayne Harper was beaming.
"The Grizzlies came to town," Harper said, the smile spreading. "Two hours later, the smoke cleared out and 350 miners went back to work."
The smoke from forest fires surrounding Missoula sent the UM football team packing. The Grizzlies boarded three buses in Missoula and headed to Butte to practice. They would not have been allowed to in Missoula because of continued horrible air quality, officials said Tuesday.
The air was smoky in Butte earlier in the day, but seemed nearly normal by the time the football players took the field at 4 p.m. for their second session of the day.
The Monday announcement that the Griz were coming coincided with the news that Montana Resources is preparing to re-open its mine. Economics forced shutdown of the east Butte project three years ago.
So, the mood along the fence ringing the Fogarty practice field was upbeat. That of new Griz head coach Bobby Hauck was, too.
Hauck is revisiting childhood in a way, he said.
"All of my grandparents and both of my parents are from Butte," he said. "So, this is where we came for every holiday. Butte has always been fun to come to and I still have a lot of relatives here - all the Correttes, all the Foleys ...
"Grandfather John Hauck was with the Power company for a long time and Grandfather Foley worked for the Anaconda Company and was much-involved with youth sports here."
Hauck was hired to succeed highly successful Joe Glenn as head coach of the Grizzlies last winter. Glenn moved on to Wyoming. Hauck, 39, had most recently been defensive backs coach at national NCAA Division I power Washington.
Hauck was born in Missoula and went to high school in Big Timber, where his dad, Bob, coached and taught for many years. Bobby's uncle, Tom Hauck, a Butte native, serves as a line coach on the Griz staff.
Bobby Hauck's previous athletic experience at Bulldog Memorial Stadium was in a state Class B track meet held in the facility in the 1980s.
But he is well-acquainted with the football tradition, too. He tutored the team in some.
"We talked about Butte being a tough football town," he said, "and about Butte having tough people."
Two Grizzlies, senior linebacker Chris Connors and walk-on freshman offensive lineman Marc Elich, are from Butte. Some others are from the area - offensive lineman Jon Skinner and safety Tyler Thomas from Dillon, and defensive end Ciche Pitcher from Anaconda.
Pitcher missed Tuesday's drills because of a bad ankle, but is expected to rejoin the team Wednesday, Hauck said.
"(Defensive end) Tim Bush is from a mining town (Kellogg, Idaho) and is a quasi-Butte guy," the coach added, smiling again.
The ability to practice in Butte and breathe cleaner air has meant much, Hauck said.
"I couldn't taste the air today, which was new," he said. "I'm glad we're here and could find accommodations.
"If we'd missed another day of practice, then we'd be another day behind Maine. Any time you miss technique work and base schematics, it puts you behind."
The smoke had already caused the Grizzlies to miss some practices last week in Missoula. They will open their season on Aug. 30 at Maine.
"If we grind it for three days here, we can catch back up," Hauck said.
Hauck's younger brother, Tim, is a former Griz standout and is a 14-year NFL veteran. Bobby Hauck said Tim is in Missoula and frequently attends UM practices while waiting for another call from an NFL team and contemplating whether he wants it.
Colorado quarterback transfer Craig Ochs is expected back in Missoula Wednesday, but will not come to Butte for practice, Hauck said. Ochs has been missing from the team for undisclosed reasons.
The Grizzlies are scheduled for a single practice on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., then will go at 9 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. on Thursday before returning to Missoula.
Watching this year's UM football players work out behind Bulldog Memorial Stadium at the East Middle School Fogarty Complex, Wayne Harper was beaming.
"The Grizzlies came to town," Harper said, the smile spreading. "Two hours later, the smoke cleared out and 350 miners went back to work."
The smoke from forest fires surrounding Missoula sent the UM football team packing. The Grizzlies boarded three buses in Missoula and headed to Butte to practice. They would not have been allowed to in Missoula because of continued horrible air quality, officials said Tuesday.
The air was smoky in Butte earlier in the day, but seemed nearly normal by the time the football players took the field at 4 p.m. for their second session of the day.
The Monday announcement that the Griz were coming coincided with the news that Montana Resources is preparing to re-open its mine. Economics forced shutdown of the east Butte project three years ago.
So, the mood along the fence ringing the Fogarty practice field was upbeat. That of new Griz head coach Bobby Hauck was, too.
Hauck is revisiting childhood in a way, he said.
"All of my grandparents and both of my parents are from Butte," he said. "So, this is where we came for every holiday. Butte has always been fun to come to and I still have a lot of relatives here - all the Correttes, all the Foleys ...
"Grandfather John Hauck was with the Power company for a long time and Grandfather Foley worked for the Anaconda Company and was much-involved with youth sports here."
Hauck was hired to succeed highly successful Joe Glenn as head coach of the Grizzlies last winter. Glenn moved on to Wyoming. Hauck, 39, had most recently been defensive backs coach at national NCAA Division I power Washington.
Hauck was born in Missoula and went to high school in Big Timber, where his dad, Bob, coached and taught for many years. Bobby's uncle, Tom Hauck, a Butte native, serves as a line coach on the Griz staff.
Bobby Hauck's previous athletic experience at Bulldog Memorial Stadium was in a state Class B track meet held in the facility in the 1980s.
But he is well-acquainted with the football tradition, too. He tutored the team in some.
"We talked about Butte being a tough football town," he said, "and about Butte having tough people."
Two Grizzlies, senior linebacker Chris Connors and walk-on freshman offensive lineman Marc Elich, are from Butte. Some others are from the area - offensive lineman Jon Skinner and safety Tyler Thomas from Dillon, and defensive end Ciche Pitcher from Anaconda.
Pitcher missed Tuesday's drills because of a bad ankle, but is expected to rejoin the team Wednesday, Hauck said.
"(Defensive end) Tim Bush is from a mining town (Kellogg, Idaho) and is a quasi-Butte guy," the coach added, smiling again.
The ability to practice in Butte and breathe cleaner air has meant much, Hauck said.
"I couldn't taste the air today, which was new," he said. "I'm glad we're here and could find accommodations.
"If we'd missed another day of practice, then we'd be another day behind Maine. Any time you miss technique work and base schematics, it puts you behind."
The smoke had already caused the Grizzlies to miss some practices last week in Missoula. They will open their season on Aug. 30 at Maine.
"If we grind it for three days here, we can catch back up," Hauck said.
Hauck's younger brother, Tim, is a former Griz standout and is a 14-year NFL veteran. Bobby Hauck said Tim is in Missoula and frequently attends UM practices while waiting for another call from an NFL team and contemplating whether he wants it.
Colorado quarterback transfer Craig Ochs is expected back in Missoula Wednesday, but will not come to Butte for practice, Hauck said. Ochs has been missing from the team for undisclosed reasons.
The Grizzlies are scheduled for a single practice on Wednesday at 2:30 p.m., then will go at 9 a.m. and 3:15 p.m. on Thursday before returning to Missoula.
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