Hauck named Coach of the Year
11/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Football
For the third time in four seasons, the University of Montana???s Bobby Hauck has been selected by his peers as the Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year.
The seventh-year coach led Montana to the conference championship with an 8-0 record. The Grizzlies will take an 11-0 record and the No. 1 seed into Saturday???s first-round Division I playoff game against South Dakota State. Montana is the only undefeated team remaining in the Football Championship Subdivision.
Hauck is the seventh coach in league history to win the honor three times. He joins Mike Kramer (Eastern Washington/Montana State), Paul Wulff (Eastern Washington), Joe Glenn (Montana), Don Read (Montana), Jim Sweeney (Montana State) and Tony Knap (Boise State) as three-time winners. Nevada???s Chris Ault won the award a record four times.
Hauck???s Grizzlies have won at least a share of the Big Sky championship each of his seven seasons as coach. He has guided UM to conference victories in 15 straight games and 31 of the last 32. Montana is 48-5 overall the past four regular seasons and 43-1 in regular-season games.
Hauck???s overall record at Montana is 77-16. His .828 winning percentage ranks second all-time in Big Sky history. His 77 victories are tied for third. Hauck is 47-6 in Big Sky Conference games, which ranks fourth all-time.
Under Hauck, Montana has advanced to the playoffs all seven of his teams, appearing in national championship games in 2004 and 2008 and the semifinals in 2006.
Nine Montana players were selected first-team All-Big Sky Conference Tuesday. Montana leads the Big Sky rushing offense, scoring offense, total defense and scoring defense.
Hauck, who also serves as the special teams coordinator, is a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, presented by the Sports Network annually to the top FCS coach.
Hauck is assisted by Kraig Paulson, Rob Phenicie, Mick Delaney, Mike Hudson, Dominic Daste, Chad Germer, Ty Gregorak, Tom Hauck, Robin Pflugrad and strength coach Mike Gerber.
