From SID Dave Guffey:

University of Montana head football coach Bobby Hauck has agreed to a
new one-year contract to coach the UM football team, Athletic Director
Jim O'Day announced Friday.

The contract was signed earlier this week by Coach Hauck, UM President
George Dennison and O'Day, but is subject to final approval by the
Montana Board of Regents, who have it as an agenda item for their March
meeting.

"We are excited to have Bobby leading the Griz again this year," O'Day
said. "He recently completed an outstanding season in coaching UM to the
national championship game. Bobby and his assistants are to be commended
for a fantastic job in guiding the team both on the field and in the
classroom."

In addition to their many successes on the field, the UM football team
compiled an impressive 2.90 grade point average in the fall semester.

"We expect a great deal of our coaches, and Coach Hauck has lived up to
those standards," said UM President George Dennison. "I appreciate his
attention to detail and efforts to improve an already quite successful
program, athletically and academically. The involvement of his players
in and around the community also merits comment, as they spend countless
hours volunteering their time for the betterment of today's youth."

Hauck's new contract calls for a base salary of $144,500. In addition,
it increases the pool for assistant coaches by $16,500. Also, the pact
calls for an additional $40,000 for television and radio coach's show
appearances; a country club membership; and $500 per month for a car
stipend. Additional income comes in the form of camps and/or clinics, as
well as annual performance incentives.
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MY THOUGHTS

After months of speculation that he was leaving, Bobby Hauck is back with the Montana Grizzlies for another season. In my opinion, the only bad thing about this is that he only signed on for 1 year.

I know the University offered him a 3 year deal, but it seems as if Bobby wants to keep his options open for the future. I spoke with Bobby a couple weeks ago - right before National Signing Day - and he seemed extremely happy. He loved the guys he was bringing in, and seemed genuinely excited for the upcoming season.

For about a month after Chattanooga, it was almost a forgone conclusion that Hauck was leaving. But I think he really seemed to fall in love with this team on the run to the national championship. Traveling with the team and seeing the way he interacts with the players, you can tell that he is more than just a coach to these guys. Bobby has the total respect of every player on this team, and I don't think he is ready to go anywhere quite yet.

There seem to be a lot of fans that think Hauck can not win the BIG ONE. And while he has not won a title here yet - I think he is very capable. Hauck is a very solid coach, and he is still learning on the job. There have been some growing pains along the way, and until last season I might not think that he has what it takes. But last years coaching job convinced me. It takes way more than 6 years to become a championship caliber head coach, but I think Bobby is finally at that point. I think that is one of the main reasons he is sticking around. He really wants to bring a title to his alma mater....and in my opinion it is just a matter of time before that happens.

More to come later.....

~Greg
greg@maxmontana.com