MISSOULA — Just four games into his tenure with the Illinois football program, Bobby Hauck's time has come to a close.
The former Montana head coach and the Illini have parted ways, the school announced on Sunday.
"Coach Hauck reached out to me early this morning and asked to meet ahead of our planned meeting time. We met and mutually agreed that a change in leadership was in the best interests of our defense," Illinois head coach Bret Bielema said in a statement. "Coach Hauck and I agreed this is the best path forward for our staff, and most importantly, our student-athletes, at this time. I would like to thank Bobby for his work with our program.
"As with any turnover, we have prepared for this moment and we have a plan to move our program forward. We are communicating that plan internally to our staff and players today."
Hauck was also quoted as saying in the statement, "I enjoyed being a part of the staff here at Illinois and working alongside coach Bielema every day. I am very appreciative of the opportunity to be here and thankful for all of the hard work from the players, coaches, and staff. I wish Illinois the best of luck."
Illinois is off to a 2-2 start to the season, and opened Big 10 play with a 42-19 loss to Ohio State on Saturday. Through those four games, Hauck's defense at Illinois ranked 111th in total defense at 391 yards per game, and 101st in scoring defense at 26.5 points per game. Illinois also lost to Duke in a non-conference matchup this season, a team that featured former Griz cornerback Kyon Loud suiting up for the Blue Devils.
Hauck brought his 3-3-5 defense to Illinois which he ran at Montana. An attacking-style defense, the Illini only have three sacks through four games. They rank 109th in tackles for loss and have forced just two turnovers this season. Ohio State star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith went for 12 catches for 217 yards and four scores on Saturday against Hauck's defense, and that unit was also shown having just nine players on the field at one point as well.
Hauck abruptly retired at Montana in February which resulted in Bobby Kennedy taking over the Griz program. Just days after announcing his retirement, Hauck took the job at Illinois. It was his first defensive coordinating job in his career.
Kennedy and the Grizzlies meanwhile defeated UC Davis 62-22 on Saturday night in a top-10 Big Sky Conference clash as the Grizzlies improved to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in league play.
Hauck , who was the head coach at his alma mater Montana in two stints from 2003-2009 and again from 2018-2025, is the winningest coach in Montana and Big Sky Conference history. At UM, Hauck compiled an overall record of 151-43, including an 86-23 mark in league play.
Hauck was no longer listed on Illinois' team page and coaches roster Sunday afternoon. His son, former Griz safety Robby Hauck, is still on staff as an assistant defensive backs coach, while former UM assistants Ronnie Bradford (secondary), Roger Cooper (inside linebackers), and Mike Linehan (defensive ends) are all still on the team's staff.
