Bobby Hauck wasn’t out of the sport for lengthy. 5 days after his retirement as Montana soccer coach, Hauck has joined Illinois as Bret Bielema’s defensive coordinator, Illinois introduced Monday.
“I’m grateful for the chance to hitch the Illinois soccer program,” mentioned Hauck. “Coach Bielema is likely one of the nice head coaches in all of soccer and I’m extraordinarily excited to work for him and the student-athletes and workers right here on the College of Illinois. I’ve an ideal feeling in regards to the gamers, the coaches, and the way forward for this program. I’ll miss Montana dearly due to the relationships and the fervour I’ve for the soccer program. I hope to deliver a few of that to the Illini. I am unable to wait to get began.”
On Feb. 4, Hauck, 61, retired because the Grizzlies’ coach after two exceptional runs, the primary from 2003-09, the second from 2018-25. Over these 14 seasons, Hauck received 151 video games and eight Large Sky titles and made 13 FCS playoffs, together with 4 FCS Nationwide Championship video games. The 151 wins are a Large Sky file.
Hauck spent 2010-14 at UNLV, the place he went 15-49. He then spent 2015-17 because the San Diego State particular groups coordinator earlier than returning to the Grizzlies.
“There’s by no means a handy spot within the school soccer calendar to announce you are retiring, so right this moment’s nearly as good as any,” Hauck mentioned on Feb. 4. “I wasn’t going to have them unfold my ashes on the apply subject as a result of I dropped useless on the market. There comes a juncture the place it is time to do one thing else.”
Hauck lamented the altering school soccer panorama in his retirement press convention, saying, “A variety of the top coach stuff in present day Division I school soccer just isn’t pleasurable. I believe it is the proper time for me to retire.”
However apparently the draw of being a Large Ten coordinator was too good to cross up. The Illini have steadily improved below Bielema, successful 19 video games up to now two seasons. Now, they’re going to hope the addition of Hauck helps proceed the upward trajectory. The Grizzlies have been a top-10 scoring protection in FCS in 2021 and 2023 utilizing Hauck’s 3-3-5 scheme.
“I’m excited to welcome Coach Hauck and his household to our Illini FamILLy,” mentioned Bielema. “Since assembly Coach Hauck early on in my head teaching profession, I’ve had large respect for who he’s, what he stands for, and this system he has constructed. He’s a household man with unimaginable consideration to element and an ideal potential to show the sport to each his staffs and gamers. Coach Hauck’s aggressive defensive scheme, which he discovered at San Diego State and developed at Montana, can be an thrilling new fashion that has by no means been seen right here at Illinois.”
Extensive receivers coach Bobby Kennedy has taken over for Hauck at Montana.
