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(STATS) - Bobby Hauck's return to Montana for a second stint as football coach has given the Grizzlies' rabid fan base the hope, if not expectation, the program will be among the FCS elite again sooner rather than later.
In Hauck's seven seasons from 2003-09, Montana never failed to win the Big Sky title or qualify for the FCS playoffs, and it was the national runner-up three times, including in his final 14-1 season before he became UNLV's coach. The Griz went 80-17 (.825) overall in a tenure that also was plagued by off-the-field issues, including player arrests.
Since his departure, only the 2011 Griz have captured the Big Sky title or won more than one playoff game, and that team included key players recruited by the Hauck staff.
While Montana's coaching change is the most visible among 24 during the FCS offseason, it's not as certain how fast the Griz will climb the Big Sky standings, let alone reach national title contention.
Montana finished 7-4 last season yet missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season for the first time since 1991-92. This year's team has a veteran lineup, led by senior linebacker and All-America candidate Josh Buss.
Midway through his program's spring practices, which conclude April 14, the 53-year-old Hauck discussed with STATS where the Griz stand in their pursuit of a return to glory.
STATS: How has it gone since you returned to Montana?
BH: It's going great, we're off to a great start. I like the work that we've put in so far. We're finally starting to get our heads above water, it's been pretty frantic trying to get everything into place - heading from recruiting to staffing to everything else. This is a unique place, particularly on our level because everybody in our state is interested and wants a piece of your time. It's been pretty frantic, but we're making progress.
STATS: With that in mind, considering Montana's history in football, can you talk about the responsibility of coaching or playing in the program. What goes into that?
BH: It's multi-faceted because whomever is the head coach here, you kind of represent the university and the state of Montana. We have a tremendous fan base that is very involved and interested in everything we do. And then from a personal standout, being a third-generation alum and also the former head coach when we had some really good days here, I'm deeply invested in the university and the football program. It's important, it makes it really personal. That can be a double-edge, but that's the special thing about this particular place for me.
STATS: What has changed since your first time coaching there?
BH: A couple things. Obviously, the players are different, and the university has had some turnover - that's different. We have significantly more resources at our fingertips than when I was here before, which is a real benefit to us. We can get more things done, we're better staffed and have better budgets and all those things. It will be interesting to see if we can keep it going and get it back to where we want it.
STATS: Can you talk about the identity you're trying to implement in the offseason with your players?
BH: We're trying to get people doing things the way we want to do them - everything from the daily and weekly operation of the program, the practice procedure, all those things. In terms of the X's and O's, when you take a job at the college level, you don't flip over all the personnel. We're going to have to do things offensively and defensively that our personnel match up to.
STATS: Obviously, you were run-heavy in the past. Can you kind of break down ...
BH: Actually, we were 50-50. In fact, over a seven-year span, we had 13 more pass plays than run plays.
STATS: Can we expect something similar with balance?
BH: Yeah, balance is what we want. Philosophically, that's who we are.
STATS: Can you also talk about the style of play that you want on defense?
BH: Kent Baer, our defensive coordinator, he's calling it. He and I philosophically really match up. We've always been four-down (linemen), two-safety coaches, and that's pretty much who we've going to be.
STATS: Obviously, Gresch Jensen returns at quarterback, and (UNLV transfer) Dalton Sneed's in the picture. Can you talk about the quarterback competition this spring?
BH: That's exactly what it is, we've got a great competition going on right now. The benefit for Dalton coming in is the terminology, and all that is new for Gresch. So they really kind of got off to an even jump at the start. They're really doing a nice job of competing with one another and it's really close. It's a good, healthy competition. They're good with each other in the meetings and working with each other on the field. Both of them want the job. It should be fun right up through whenever we name the starter. I don't know when that will be.
STATS: How about the level of talent that you have in the program right now. Can you give your assessment of it?
BH: Now that we're halfway through spring ball, I have a pretty good feel for it. We knew this to a degree coming in, but it's really made itself clear as spring ball has gone on that we're shorthanded at some positions. We had all kinds of wide receivers on scholarship and no O-linemen, no safeties, no corners. We're short-handed at some positions and we're trying to shuffle some of the deck, move some pieces around and try to get some serviceable guys in some spots. It's going to take some recruiting cycles to get it back to where it was when we left.
STATS: But with all the success that you had in the past, do you have to make the playoffs for this to be considered a successful year?
BH: I think when you're at Montana, it's not a successful year unless you win the Big Sky championship.
STATS: Bigger conference, these days. Can you talk about the league as a whole?
BH: I'm certainly not the authority, I was gone for a long time. The league has added some new members. I think looking at it, Idaho will be the best team coming in the door this year. I haven't analyzed every team in depth like you do game planning week in and week out. I think it's really difficult from a football standpoint that you don't play everybody or almost everybody. I think that's a little bit unique.
STATS: Does your team have a slogan or a mantra this year?
BH: No, basically for us, we need to put our heads down and get to work. We'll figure out if we're good enough when we look at the scoreboard after the first game.
STATS: What has surprised you in your return?
BH: Not much. It's funny, being an alum, this is my third time I've worked here. Not much has surprised me, I kind of know the place pretty well.
STATS: Was there anybody you ran into or something you saw on campus that was the exact same way and you said, 'Wow, it hasn't changed.'?
BH: That's the beauty of my job. You know everybody in the state personally almost. It's been nothing surprising and been more like a comfortable pair of jeans or old sneakers - you put them on and slide back in and go to work. It's a pretty good deal.
STATS: How about the months ahead leading up to preseason and then the start of the season, what do you envision happening?
BH: For us, we have a lot to do. Everything's new to everyone here except probably me. We have a lot of work to do. It sounds a little bit different for me to say this because it's March, but we're on the clock to get ready for Sept. 1. We have a lot of things to get done and that's been expressed to our team. So we have to have a great deal of urgency to have a chance in our first game because, frankly, I think Northern Iowa is a lot better than us right now.
STATS: When you left, Montana was probably the best program in the FCS. Obviously, it's still up there, but you have schools like North Dakota State and James Madison. Where do you feel Montana fits in nationally right now?
BH: Again, hard for me to gauge because I haven't been out there and we haven't played. I have a pretty intimate knowledge of James Madison to a degree and a little bit of North Dakota State. I think, obviously, right now they're the two best teams. In the seven years we were here previously, we had more wins than anybody else on our level, so that's what we need to get back to. I do think to catch those aforementioned and maybe another handful of others - maybe seven, eight, nine or 10 other teams - we have some work to do to catch up. We are not there.
