Bobby Hauck retires from Montana in vintage Hauck fashion: Triumphant, turbulent, controversial, chaotic

Montana coach Bobby Hauck — one of the premier coaches in the sport for over 20 years and the winningest coach in Big Sky Conference history — retired pretty much out of nowhere, notifying his athletic director at 8 p.m. on Tuesday night and holding a press conference on Wednesday morning.     This comes just less than a couple months after his Grizzlies throttled the Jackrabbits (50-29) and Coyotes (52-22) in back-to-back weeks in the FCS Playoffs to reach the semifinals. The next week, in-state rival Montana State thrashed the Griz 48-23.    While Montana would finish ranked among the top three FCS teams for the second time in three years, the semifinal loss to MSU was the third time in a row and sixth time in Hauck's eight-year second stint in Missoula the Bobcats beat Montana. A few weeks later, MSU won its first national title to throw salt into the Griz' wounds. The end of Hauck's final season is fitting — it was wild, dramatic, chaotic, triumphant yet turbulent. In 15 seasons wrapped around a disastrous five-year tenure at UNLV, Hauck was wildly prolific, guiding the Griz to eight Big Sky titles and four trips to the national championship game. But he went 0-4 in those finals.   Born in Missoula and a U of M graduate, he is both a hometown hero and his own worst enemy.    Because of the odd timing of the retirement, too late for the school to conduct a full-scale search for a long-term replacement, Hauck leaves his program in both the strong spot of a solidified Top 5 powerhouse, yet bridesmaid in its own state with an uncertain future.    While Hauck's wide receivers coach Bobby Kennedy — never a head coach and never even a coordinator in a 35-year career mostly spent in the FBS — was named immediate successor, Montana athletic director Kent Haslam made no mention of a multi-year contract for Kennedy, only saying he and school leaders will assess the program's performance after the 2026 season to then decide about the head coaching position then. Although, oddly, Haslam said Kennedy would not be labeled "interim coach."   And now, the vultures are circling Missoula. Soon, a special two-week portal window will open for Griz players who prefer to transfer, a window granted for schools who make head coaching changes. Had Hauck retired prior to the nationwide Jan. 2-16 window, this "coach leaving" window would not have opened.   Ironically, Hauck mentioned in the presser that the nature of which college football is operated in the NIL/transfer portal era is the primary reason he is stepping out and vowing to never be a head coach again — a la the sentiments expressed last year by USD's Bob Nielson and in December by Kansas State's Chris Klieman in their retirement announcements. There is a lot to unpack. The Happy Hour host plays the highlights of the presser, then turns it over to a pair of Montana alumni guests who have a deep following and passionate fandom for the Griz.