The Bobcat Nation

Bobby Hauck was a class act with student reporters

It was never easy for Bobby Hauck.

No one told him it would be easy. Even after coming from Montana where he was the Division II equivalent of Nick Saban, the challenge was clear – change the culture of the UNLV Football program.

For one of the five years he was the Rebels’ head coach, he did. Now he’s leaving.

Hauck officially resigned as UNLV head coach on Monday. Five years, a total of 15 wins. Four of those seasons resulted in only two wins each. By all accounts, even he’ll acknowledge that he and his coaching staff could’ve done better.

But for the four seasons I spent covering UNLV Football while writing for this paper, knowing that the likelihood of the Rebels getting blown out was a major possibility each game, he came to work with a smile on his face. He didn’t complain, he didn’t show disgust even after the most brutal of losses.

The reason was because he was coaching college football at the Division I level. And he loved doing what he did at UNLV.

But what stuck most with me more so with Hauck isn’t what he did on the field, especially when knowing every season would not be like 2013. Bobby Hauck was a guy who held a great relationship with the Las Vegas media.

More importantly, he had a great relationship with the student media.

I started covering the football team in 2011, Hauck’s second year with the program. I was a freshman reporter at the time and was really excited to cover an actual college football team.

Then I was told, and later read, the story about what happened at Montana.

The student newspaper at Montana, the Montana Kaimin, ran a story back in 2009 regarding an assault involving two Montana players during Hauck’s last season with the Grizzlies. When the story ran, it began a month-long boycott by Hauck and his players involving the Kaimin.

Hauck wouldn’t talk to the student reporters, nor let the players do so either. It was a controversy that spread like wildfire. Needless to say, as a freshman, when I found out about that story, one could only imagine how quickly the excitement turned to being scared for my life.

Then I met Hauck for the first time after UNLV defeated Hawaii back on Sept. 17, 2011. After the press conference, I went to shake his hand and introduce myself as a student reporter, not knowing what would follow next.

We shook hands and exchanged a quick conversation, which followed with him saying, “Great to meet you. I promise this won’t be like Montana,” followed by a trademark Bobby Hauck laugh.

That made our job at The Rebel Yell much more easier. It wasn’t a matter of him just acknowledging that he was fine with talking to student reporters. Even something simple as a handshake after every press conference or just a quick chat made it feel like he appreciated what we did. That meant a lot.

When coaches leave a program, the discussion quickly turns to the kind of coach he/she is, to the kind of person he/she is. Bobby Hauck may have not been the best coach at UNLV, and his record reflects that. But there’s no denying the kind of person he is – a man who cares a lot about his family, loves the game of football and is great with the media.

Student reporters aren’t the first usually thought of when covering a game or a story. Hauck made it feel like we were just as important as any other people wanting to talk to him. He handled all questions and never thought any different of us just because we were younger journalists. Although everyone was able to put the Montana fiasco behind them, knowing that Hauck made us feel more involved was great.

And as he stood up after giving his final press conference of the year on Saturday, after his Rebels were soundly defeated by in-state rival Nevada-Reno at home, Hauck went to every media member in the room, shook their hand or gave a hug, and thanked them.

When he got to me, I shook his hand and told him, “Thanks for taking it easy on me over the last four years.” Once again, with that trademark Bobby Hauck laugh, followed that with a hug and said, “Keep up the great work. I appreciate everything you do with this team while going through school.”

And that meant a lot. Thanks, Coach. Best of luck.

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Hauck wouldn’t talk to the student reporters, nor let the players do so either. It was a controversy that spread like wildfire. Needless to say, as a freshman, when I found out about that story, one could only imagine how quickly the excitement turned to being scared for my life.

What?

Division II ?

The words Hauck and class do not fit well together.

kcatz wrote:Division II ?

exactly

Danny, if you want to be a professional journalist, you will need to learn how to gather facts, which requires a little research.

Assignment #1
Create a fact sheet, or brief, on how the NCAA has organized football into its' distinct divisions. List each sanctioned NCAA division, identify how many universities are represented in each division.

Hint: Bobby Hauck has never been a Division II football coach.

Having said that (obviously a hot button for us NCAA Division I FCS schools) it actually good to hear that coach Hauck made a positive impression on you. Not everyone in Montana can say that.

Haucks regime at um created one of the most crime-riddled programs in the annals of college football. He personally worked overtime to sweep the 2 on 1 beating of a man by two of his players - Trumaine Johnson and Andrew Swink - under the rug. Once it was uncovered he panicked and showed everyone how spineless he is by verbally attacking a college newspaper reporter. Once the players he brought in cleared the program, um players stayed out of the police blotter and um went from great to good. Coincidence? Hardly. The entire episode tainted any success um football had while he was there. The fact that there are even rumors that he might return or that anyone wants him back is all the proof anyone needs to show how confused and unpriortized um boosters and administrators are. Still serving an NCAA probation, they're looking at the guy that sparked the whole thing to come back. I'm actually not surprised.

[cat_bracket] wrote:Haucks regime at um created one of the most crime-riddled programs in the annals of college football. He personally worked overtime to sweep the 2 on 1 beating of a man by two of his players - Trumaine Johnson and Andrew Swink - under the rug. Once it was uncovered he panicked and showed everyone how spineless he is by verbally attacking a college newspaper reporter. Once the players he brought in cleared the program, um players stayed out of the police blotter and um went from great to good. Coincidence? Hardly. The entire episode tainted any success um football had while he was there. The fact that there are even rumors that he might return or that anyone wants him back is all the proof anyone needs to show how confused and unpriortized um boosters and administrators are. Still serving an NCAA probation, they're looking at the guy that sparked the whole thing to come back. I'm actually not surprised.

I could not have said this any better. Coach Flu made some really bad decisions and got fired for them, but I think he was just in over his head and did not handle it well. The players involved were mostly a continuation of Hauck's players and the program he ran. If Hauck is hired at um, my opinion of their new President and AD will drop down to the level I regarded the previous people in those positions. As far as the boosters.....it just confirms my opinion of most of them that they would even consider bringing Hauck back. Nothing matters at um except the football team for many of them.

One thing that is almost always forgotten...coaches can learn too. Did Bobby learn from the mistakes that happened at UM both from a player management view and with his relationship with the media? Just take a look down the road in Pocatello and the job that Kramer is doing with APR and player issues there. He learned a hard lesson at MSU. I'm not saying Hauck has or hasn't, but factoring that in makes a difference. We give athletes a chance to learn and grow. Does learning and growing stop when you get a paycheck? The consequences for mistakes normally get bigger, but the learning doesn't stop.

Sorry I missed what everybody was saying. I was scratching my b***s. eh eh eh

tdub wrote:One thing that is almost always forgotten...coaches can learn too. Did Bobby learn from the mistakes that happened at UM both from a player management view and with his relationship with the media? Just take a look down the road in Pocatello and the job that Kramer is doing with APR and player issues there. He learned a hard lesson at MSU. I'm not saying Hauck has or hasn't, but factoring that in makes a difference. We give athletes a chance to learn and grow. Does learning and growing stop when you get a paycheck? The consequences for mistakes normally get bigger, but the learning doesn't stop.

Sure he deserves a second chance, but I would think not at um. If he screws up again there whoever hires him takes the blame. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

Regarding Hauck and his treatment of the media and others at UM versus UNLV.

A successful coach who acts like an ass is tolerated and called "intense", or "focused", or some other positive trait.

An unsuccessful coach who acts like an ass is shown the door, so said coach will often learn he needs friends in the media and within the university.

Hauck at UM was the former, and if he finds success again, he'll revert to his prior form.

Hauck at UNLV was the latter, because his overall importance in that athletic program was well beneath that of the basketball team.

PapaG wrote:Regarding Hauck and his treatment of the media and others at UM versus UNLV.

A successful coach who acts like an ass is tolerated and called "intense", or "focused", or some other positive trait.

An unsuccessful coach who acts like an ass is shown the door, so said coach will often learn he needs friends in the media and within the university.

Hauck at UM was the former, and if he finds success again, he'll revert to his prior form.

Hauck at UNLV was the latter, because his overall importance in that athletic program was well beneath that of the basketball team.

Well put.

Hauck was "intensely a$$hole-ish."

Take away a man's successes and failures, and you see his true character.


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From the get go of this story I have been skeptical. I would not put it past BH to pay a student reporter to write a favorable story like that about him. Not that there is anything illegal about that, it seems awfully contrived in the way it was written.

Joe Bobcat wrote:From the get go of this story I have been skeptical. I would not put it past BH to pay a student reporter to write a favorable story like that about him. Not that there is anything illegal about that, it seems awfully contrived in the way it was written.

That's awesome. I love Bobcat fans.