MISSOULA, Montana — After a landmark season that culminated in Montana’s first national championship game appearance since 2009, head coach Bobby Hauck is signing a three-year contract extension, UM athletics director Kent Haslam announced in a UM press release on Thursday afternoon.
The three-year contract will keep Hauck in Missoula through at least January of 2027.
“I’m excited to continue representing the Montana Grizzlies, the University of Montana, and the state of Montana as the head football coach,” Hauck said in the UM release. “Stacey (wife) and I are committed to the future of Grizzly football and want to continue to have an impact on our players, our university, and our community.
“We’ve won a lot of playoff games and been highly competitive over the last six seasons, culminating in an appearance in the national championship game this year. We want to continue to bring more championships to Montana and are looking forward to that challenge.
“I am appreciative of the University, our president Seth Bodnar, Kent Haslam, and all the other people that make this the best college football environment in the country.”
Hauck has led Montana to tremendous success during his two tenures coaching at his alma mater. Next season will mark his 13th at the helm overall for the Griz. He has compiled 129 wins and lost just 36 games over that span. His win total, which has included a 49-19 record since returning to Montana ahead of the 2018 season, is the most by a head coach in Big Sky Conference history.
Last season, Hauck led the Grizzlies to a 13-2 record that included the program’s first outright Big Sky Conference championship since 2009. UM’s 10 straight wins included playoff victories over Delaware, Furman and North Dakota State to advance to the FCS title game, where Montana fell 23-3 to South Dakota State.
Hauck led the Griz from 2003 until 2009 as well, compiling one of the most successful seven-year stints in program and conference history. Hauck and the Grizzlies won 80 of 97 games, including 51 of 57 in Big Sky play and earned the conference crown seven seasons in a row. UM played for the FCS national title in 2004, 2008 and 2009 before Hauck left to become the head coach at UNLV, a post he held in Las Vegas for five seasons.
Since returning to his alma mater in 2018, Montana has advanced to the FCS playoffs four of the five full seasons with two quarterfinal appearances and one championship appearance.
He was named the Big Sky Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career, the AFCA Region 5 Coach of the Year for the third time, and a finalist for the Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year second time following the 2023 season.
“I am excited Coach Hauck is under contract for three more years,” said Haslam, who has served as Montana’s athletic director since the spring of 2012. “The football coaching staff and student-athletes are coming off an amazing season and I am happy we are maintaining continuity in the leadership of the Griz football program. Coach Hauck is passionate about the University of Montana and developing young men both on and off the field. I appreciate his hard work and commitment.”
Hauck’s teams have also achieved great success in the classroom. Since his return in 2018, the Grizzlies have posted the best GPAs in program history, with the team averaging a 3.0 or better each semester. In his 12 years overall, 274 of Hauck’s players have earned a place on All-Big Sky Academic teams, averaging the most or second most selections each season. The Griz have also had four Academic All-America honorees in that time as well.
Hauck has also been recognized for his efforts in the community as the 2023 recipient of the Grant Teaff “Breaking the Silence” Award by the Jason Foundation at the AFCA Convention in January, honoring a head coach that has exceeded expectations as a National Awareness Ambassador, helping spread awareness of youth suicide.
Montana will open the 2024 season on Aug. 31 against Missouri State in Missoula for the first of seven regular season home games in the coming year.
