Why did Bobby Hauck announce his retirement on Wednesday? Because he made the decision Monday, informed AD Kent Haslam on Tuesday and, well, there everyone was on Wednesday morning.
But why is Hauck retiring at all?
It's not because Montana wasn't winning. The Griz went 151-43 under his tenure, split between 2003-09 and 2018-today, with four trips to the national title game. Montana was 13-2 in 2025. Though the Griz fell short against Montana State in the regular season and the FCS semifinals, the yard stick by with Hauck measured Montana was North Dakota State -- and his team advanced further in the FCS playoffs than the Bison in two of the last three seasons, including the classic double overtime win over North Dakota State in the 2023 FCS semifinals.
There wasn't any behind the scenes palace intrigue, either. Hauck loved the University of Montana, some of his children are fourth-generation Grizzlies. There was no scandal lurking around the corner. Beyond Montana's 13-2 record this past season, Hauck proudly mentioned his team's 3.2 GPA on Wednesday.
So, why is a 61-year-old, future Hall of Fame coach, working his dream job, retiring at the top of his game? Why do you think?
"Dealing with what college football has become is not always enjoyable as a head coach, and I just haven't been enjoying it enough. I want to enjoy my job, and a lot of the head coach stuff in current day, Division I college football is not enjoyable," Hauck said Wednesday. "I wasn't going to have them spread my ashes on the practice field because I dropped dead out there. There comes a juncture where it's time to do something else."
The realization that he was no longer meant to be a head coach in today's environment crept upon him like nightfall -- faint at first, grew gradually, and then it was all he could see. Hauck was never going to retire until the Griz's 2026 roster was set and a championship-level team was assembled, and although Wednesday marked the traditional National Signing Day, Montana did not sign anyone. "As college football has changed over the last couple of years, I've started to embrace my shelf life ending at some point. I've had more days where I didn't look forward to coming to work very recently," he said at one point.
Montana phrased Hauck's announcement as him "retiring as Montana's head coach," and that was reflected in Hauck's words Wednesday. Hauck did not explicitly state he plans to coach again, but he didn't rule it out, either. "I really have no idea what I'm going to do. I have no idea what retirement means to me. Any time I've been out of coaching, the phone's always rang and I've had something to do. This is really one of the few times I can remember where I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow," he said.
The only thing Hauck formally walked away from on Wednesday was being a head coach in today's college football environment.
"We wouldn't be sitting here today if I ever wanted to be a head coach, because if I ever wanted to be a head coach, it would be here at the University of Montana," he said. "It does not have allure for me anymore."