Montana football fans were stunned Wednesday as HC Bobby Hauck announced his sudden retirement. The winningest coach in school history, Hauck spent 14 seasons shaping the Grizzlies into an FCS powerhouse, leading them to four national championship games and racking up 20 playoff victories. Hauck reportedly stepped away due to the evolving pressures of modern college football and a desire to enjoy his work again.

“There’s never a convenient spot in the college football calendar to announce you’re retiring, so today’s as good as any,” Hauck said at a press conference. “I wasn’t going to have them spread my ashes on the practice field because I dropped dead out there. There comes a juncture where it’s time to do something else.”

Over 14 seasons, Hauck has an impressive 151–43 record at Montana, making him the all-time leader in overall wins and conference victories in Big Sky history. He led the Grizzlies to eight Big Sky titles, 13 playoff berths, and four FCS National Championship Games, racking up 20 playoff wins. At 61, Hauck retires as the winningest active FCS coach and the third-winningest active coach in all of Division I football at his current program.

“Dealing from my job and the head coach’s desk — this may be the most important thing I say here — dealing with what college football has become is not always enjoyable as a head coach,” Hauck said. “I just haven’t been enjoying it enough. I want to enjoy my career and my job. A lot of the head coach stuff in current-day Division I college football is not enjoyable. I think it’s the perfect time for me to retire.”

His career includes stints outside Montana, too, including a transformative period at UNLV, where he led the Rebels to their first winning season in 13 years in 2013, and later as special teams coordinator and associate head coach at San Diego State.

Stepping into Hauck’s shoes is WR coach Bobby Kennedy, who now takes on the job to lead the Grizzlies into a new era. Kennedy, having worked closely with Hauck for years, is well-versed in the program.

Montana turns the page

The rapid decision by Montana to move up WR coach Bobby Kennedy to HC was almost as unexpected as Hauck’s retirement. Kennedy brought decades of expertise, including more than 30 years in college football, to his debut season with the Grizzlies.

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From Wyoming to Wake Forest, Arizona, Washington, Texas, Colorado, Iowa, Stanford, and Rice, he’s coached some of the nation’s top receivers, sending multiple players to the NFL and winning a national championship at Texas in 2005. With that resume, the Griz community is already buzzing with excitement.

Even in just one season in Missoula, Kennedy made his mark. With players like Brooks Davis and Michael Wortham, he helped Montana’s offense thrive, averaging 615 points and 6,855 yards. Davis was named an All-American as a freshman, and Wortham had 1,224 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.RB Eli Gillman added 1,610 yards on the ground while QB Keali’i Ah Yat passed for 4,070 yards and 33 touchdowns.

Now, Griz Nation gets to see what it looks like with him leading the way.