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  "path": "/college-sports/2026/02/09/illinois-hires-former-montana-coach-bobby-hauck-defensive-coordinator",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-10T00:17:07.359Z",
  "site": "https://chicago.suntimes.com",
  "textContent": "<p>CHAMPAIGN — Former Montana coach Bobby Hauck has ended his brief retirement to become defensive coordinator at Illinois.</p><p>Fighting Illini coach Bret Bielema announced the hiring Monday to replace Aaron Henry, who left to be co-defensive coordinator at Notre Dame.</p><p>Hauck retired last Wednesday, saying he didn't enjoy his job anymore because of the changes in college football in recent years.</p><p>\"I want to enjoy my career and my job, and a lot of the head coach stuff in current-day Division I college football is not enjoyable,\" Hauck said last week.</p><p>The 61-year-old Hauck is the Big Sky Conference's all-time wins leader with a 151-43 record. He led the Grizzlies to four national championship games in 13 playoff appearances over 14 seasons. Montana was 13-2 and reached the national semifinals last season.</p><p>Hauk led UNLV from 2010 to 2014 and had a 15-49 record. He has been an assistant at San Diego State, Washington, Colorado, Northern Arizona, UCLA and Montana.</p><p>\"Since meeting coach Hauck early on in my head coaching career, I have had tremendous respect for who he is, what he stands for, and the program he has built,\" Bielema said.</p><p>Illinois was 9-4 last season, finishing just outside of the AP Top 25.<br></p>",
  "title": "Illinois hires former Montana coach Bobby Hauck as defensive coordinator",
  "updatedAt": "2026-02-10T00:17:07.359Z"
}