Bobby Hauck, coach of perennial FCS power Montana and the Big Sky Conference’s all-time wins leader, announced his sudden retirement Wednesday, saying he didn’t enjoy his job anymore because of the changes in college football in recent years.
Bobby Kennedy, who finished his first season as receivers coach, will succeed Hauck. Kennedy and Hauck had worked together as assistants at Washington in 2002, and Kennedy also has been on staffs at Texas and three other power conference schools.
Hauck, 61, had two stints totaling 14 years with the Grizzlies and led the team to eight Big Sky championships, 13 playoff appearances and four national championship games. The 2025 team was 13-2 and reached the national semifinals.
The Missoula native and Montana graduate was 166-92 in 19 seasons as head coach at Montana and UNLV. He was the winningest active FCS coach with a 151-43 record with the Grizzlies.
“I want to enjoy my career and my job, and a lot of the head coach stuff in current-day Division I college football is not enjoyable,” Hauck said at a news conference. “I just think it’s the appropriate time.”
Hauck said he didn’t know what he would do next. He said he doesn’t want to be a head coach again, though.
Hauck returned to Montana in 2018, and in 2021 new NCAA rules took effect allowing players to transfer without sitting out a season at their new school and to be compensated for their name, image and likeness. Revenue sharing with athletes began last year.
“Dealing with agents and the transient nature of this and the lack of forward thinking by young people, which has never been a strong suit for centuries for young people. … But now when they’ve got adults pushing them and pulling them in different directions, I kind of got tired of that.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.