Hauck after loss to end UNLV tenure: ‘I love my guys. I’m going to miss them’

By Taylor Bern

Sunday, Nov. 30, 2014 | 1:12 a.m.

The final quarter of the Bobby Hauck coaching era at UNLV was played in front of a mostly empty stadium with the outcome already decided. In other words, the last one was just like the majority of the rest during his five seasons with the Rebels, a tenure that officially ends Monday following Saturday’s 49-27 loss to UNR in the Battle for the Fremont Cannon.

After a successful run at his home state Montana, Hauck took the UNLV job on Dec. 23, 2009, with the goal of being the guy to finally figure out how to consistently win with the Rebels. Much like the men in the position before him, Hauck’s vision never materialized, and he’s resigning with two years remaining on a contract he signed 10 months ago.

“I felt like it was going to be productive if UNLV went a different direction and our administration agreed with that,” Hauck said.

The final game contained many of the issues that popped up throughout his tenure. The defense wasn’t nearly good enough, giving up 419 rushing yards, and four turnovers sank the Rebels’ hopes in a game they actually led at halftime.

UNLV (2-11, 1-7) announced Hauck’s departure Friday evening, so every one of the 20,151 people in the stands knew this was it. Before the game Hauck appeared relaxed and that was the case after the game, too.

He’s learning to enjoy his job, Hauck said, even if it took coming to the end to get there. Before leaving the field for the final time as UNLV’s coach, Hauck shook hands and hugged countless people, from his police escorts to the chain gang and the rest of the game day staff that has seen UNLV sputter to a 15-49 record over the last five years.

“Hopefully we had some positive impact on some folks,” Hauck said. “… We haven’t been good enough but we play our tails off.”

The well-wishers included UNR coach Brian Polian, a friend of Hauck's who didn't take much joy in seeing Hauck out this way.

"He's a wonderful man," Polian said.

At his final press conference, Hauck was flanked by seniors Devante Davis and Brett Boyko, his two most successful projects this side of Caleb Herring. Davis was an athlete out of Houston who couldn’t convince coaches he was a football player and Boyko, listed at 6-foot-7 and 310 pounds, was a high school quarterback who knew nothing of the offensive line. Now both have a chance to make money playing football.

“These guys gave me a shot out of high school when nobody else wanted me,” Davis said. “I grew up from a smart-mouthed young kid who made bad decisions at times to a man.”

The finale was particularly frustrating for Boyko, who suffered an arm injury on UNLV’s second drive. After a play in the red zone UNR’s Rykeem Yates took Boyko down and, according to the UNLV senior, attempted to break Boyko’s arm with an armbar.

“Cheapest play I’ve ever seen,” said Boyko, who was trying to remain calm. “Be a man. Punch in the face if you want to mess around.”

Tempers boiled over about the play in the press box, where UNLV running backs coach Dominic Daste was yelling at multiple UNR assistant coaches about a cheap shot.

When asked about the play, Hauck said he didn’t really see it and would have to watch the film. Really, a reporter asked, you’re going to watch this film?

“It’s kind of what I do,” Hauck laughed. “What the hell else am I going to do on Sunday? I can’t cook.”

With the Montana job opening back up because of coach Mick Delaney’s retirement, there’s obvious speculation that a return to Missoula, Mont., is in Hauck’s future. There are certainly other options too, such as any number of coordinator positions, but Hauck said none of that has been on his mind yet.

“I swear to you,” he said, “all I’ve been thinking about is Reno.”

It’s possible that UNLV will have its situation figured out before Hauck does, especially if it turns out to be a return to Montana. The Grizzlies advanced earlier Saturday to the next round of the Division I-AA playoffs.

Meanwhile, UNLV President Don Snyder held a mini press conference at halftime to discuss the next step for the Rebels program. He backed up much of what Athletic Director Tina Kunzer-Murphy said on Friday while sidestepping any talks of specific plans, like the rumored choice of Bishop Gorman High coach Tony Sanchez with significant financial support from the Fertitta family.

“It starts with a commitment to doing things a bit differently and making sure that we have the type of support that we need to build the program and to build the facilities that are necessary,” Snyder said. “And we’re going to do that this time.”

As for Hauck, he leaves believing the Rebels were close to being the program he wanted them to be while understanding that the scoreboard almost always said otherwise. He focuses more on what UNLV accomplished, specifically the 2013 bowl season, than what it failed to do under his staff’s watch.

Many of Hauck’s assistants have been with him since the start at Montana, while newer additions included his brother, Tim. That’s the literal example of how the players described this program.

“(We) grew as brothers,” Davis said of his teammates.

In the end Hauck goes into the record books with four two-win seasons in five years. That’s not good enough no matter where you’re at, and a change can benefit all parties.

Hauck said there were three groups of people he was thinking about when weighing what to do after last week’s Hawaii loss. One was the people at the university, another was his coaching staff (including himself) and the other was the players.

It’s clear the university needs a change, although just how big of one it’s prepared to make remains to be seen. Most of the coaches will be able to find jobs, including many with Hauck if he takes another head job.

That last group, though, is different. Hauck’s players are no longer his players.

Someone else will step in, and it will either work or it won’t, but the days and months and years they shared will stay with Hauck. He just wishes that together they could have won.

“I love my guys,” Hauck said. “I’m going to miss them.”

Taylor Bern can be reached at 948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Taylor on Twitter at twitter.com/taylorbern.