Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Brother of new UNLV coach says Rebels have a winner

By Anthony Fenech

Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2009 | 4:01 p.m.

One gift down, one to go.

Christmas is still two days away, but the Hauck family already has opened its first football present of the holiday season.

Former Montana football coach Bobby Hauck afternoon was introduced Wednesday at Thomas & Mack Center as the 10th football coach in UNLV history.

And sitting 1,800 miles away in Nashville, his little brother was smiling.

"I can't stop smiling," Tim Hauck said over the phone from the Tennessee Titans compound in Nashville. "I'm just really happy for him."

Hauck is in his first year as the secondary coach for the Titans.

"I've really seen him mature over the years in Montana," he said. "Bobby had a great idea of what he wanted to do and what he wanted to achieve. I have to give him credit because year after year, his guys were performing at a high level."

Bobby Hauck arrives in Las Vegas fresh off back-to-back Football Championship Series title-game appearances with the Grizzlies, the latter of which came Thursday, when Montana fell to Villanova, 23-21.

"I really believe he was born to be a head coach," Tim Hauck said. "He knows how to juggle a team rather than just one position or one side of the ball and he's very well-rounded with his football knowledge."

During Bobby Hauck's seven years in Montana, he posted an 80-17 record with seven Big Sky championships, and Tim Hauck believes Rebel fans can count on much of the same out of his older brother's performance.

"His teams will be physically tough but more importantly, mentally tough," Tim Hauck said. "They will be hard-nosed, hard-charging and disciplined. They do things right, hit people and play the game the way it's supposed to be played."

Growing up under the tutelage of their father, Bob Hauck Sr. — an accomplished head coach for 30 years at Sweet Grass County High in Big Timber, Mont. — it's no wonder both the Hauck boys have found their way in coaching.

"We grew up in the locker rooms and on the field," Tim Hauck said. "Dinner-time conversation was always about football and we probably drove our mother crazy, but we lived for it."

They also fought for it, in backyards and on fields, the one-on-one competition born in their youth now shaping their coaching careers.

"There was no holding back between us," Tim Hauck said. "It was a knock-down, drag-out competition between us. One thing I'll tell UNLV fans is that he hates to lose. On the field and off the field, he's a competitor."

During Wednesday's press conference, Bobby Hauck mentioned there were candidates from the Big 12, Pac-10 and Mountain West conferences under consideration to join his staff. He wouldn't speculate on any Montana assistants making the move because of their potential candidacy for the Grizzlies head-coaching position.

However, don't expect his brother to be heading to the Las Vegas Valley. Tim Hauch said he would like to one day coach with his brother, but expects to stay in Tennessee.

"I have a job that I really love and enjoy," he said. "I would like to coach with him one day, whenever or wherever that may be, but I'm really happy with my present job."

Tim Hauck is busy preparing for the Titans' Christmas night game against the San Diego Chargers.

"It's been a whirlwind week for everyone," he said. "He had his championship game, went to Vegas to interview, got the job and now I have to hold up my end of things."

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