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Montana head football coach Bobby Hauck retired on Wednesday after 14 seasons at the helm. The decision took many by surprise given his success with the program.
Hauck provided reasoning for the departure in a midweek press conference. He blames the changing landscape of the sport – specifically, NIL and the transfer portal.
Hauck is the winningest coach in Big Sky Conference history. Across 19 total seasons as a head coach, he won 166 games. He was 151-43 with the Griz.
His run with Montana, his alma mater, was highlighted by four national championship appearances and eight league titles. Now, it ends.
Montana lost its head football coach.
The news broke Wednesday that Hauck was stepping down. Wide receivers coach Bobby Kennedy has been named as the replacement.
When discussing his decision, Bobby Hauck referenced the changing landscape in college football. He no longer enjoys his job.
He was critical of the “transient” nature that’s been created with NIL and the transfer portal. Loyalty is disappearing as recruiting becomes transactional.
Montana HC Bobby Hauck:
“I kinda got tired of dealing with agents and the transient nature of it.” pic.twitter.com/TALVLh0EMo
— College Transfer Portal (@CollegeFBPortal) February 4, 2026
Montana was hit hard when the transfer portal opened. Top players bailed for paychecks at the FBS level.
It’s something that’s become a growing concern for coaches in the FCS and Group of 5. They’ve, in a sense, become farm systems for the big guys.
Hauck developed his guys. The next school reaps the benefits.
Transfers aren’t the only issue in the new age of recruiting, though. Money is also impacting decision-making. Agents are negotiating deals with multiple suitors at a time. Prices for prospects are increasing. Bidding wars are the norm.
Bobby Hauck touched on the influence of NIL at Montana. Demands are becoming even more outrageous at the P4 level.
Top recruits are asking for a lot.
Pete Nakos of On3 posted some behind the scenes intel on NIL negotiations this offseason. Some of the asks that he revealed might surprise you.
On top of agents asking for thousands to simply schedule official visits, the list of amenities being requested in exchange for signatures is growing increasingly absurd.
Monthly payments (before enrollment), airfare, and new cars are among the more common asks. Parents demanding to be paid separate of NIL deals is happening, too.
One anonymous Big Ten staffer detailed the extremity of these requests in one particular reveal.
“We had a kid ask for a signing bonus, flight stipend, jersey number choice guaranteed, insurance policy, loss of home and disability, vehicle stipend, stipend for rental house, award campaign push, preferred walk-on spot, tickets to home and away games and field passes for agents.”
These requests are being made before taking the first snap. Many are coming from high schoolers (and their camps). Most might say we’ve lost the plot, but the market it what the market is.
The recruiting scene has changed drastically in college football. Bobby Hauck has seen enough.
He’s boycotting the new version of the sport with a refusal to continue negotiating with agents, players, and families. He likely won’t be the last.