UNLV ’s Bobby Hauck agrees to three-year contract

Bobby Hauck, who went a remarkable 80-17 in seven seasons at Montana and led the Grizzles to three Football Championship Subdivision national title appearances, was hired Tuesday to be UNLV’s next coach. Hauck, 45, will be introduced at a news conference at noon today at the Thomas & Mack Center’s Board Room. He agreed to a three-year, $350,000 salary — plus an annual $150,000 completion bonus Ñ heavy on incentives. The Board of Regents has called a special meeting to approve the contracts for Hauck and Jim Livengood, who last week was hired at athletic director. – Las Vegas Review-Journal

UNLV Hires Montana’s Bobby Hauck

Sources close to the situation tell Football Rumor Mill that UNLV has hired Montana coach Bobby Hauck.

UNLV to interview Bobby Hauck, Dennis Franchione for job

UNLV’s search for a new athletic director dragged out, but the man now running the department apparently is making sure the search for a new football coach is handled quickly. One day after being hired as athletic director, Jim Livengood lined up interviews with Montana coach Bobby Hauck for Sunday and longtime head coach Dennis Franchione for Monday. One source close to the hiring process said those are the only two coaches who will interview for the position. Livengood, Arizona’s athletic director for 16 years before taking the UNLV job, did not comment on any specific candidates. He also said he didn’t have a timeline. “The most important thing is to get the right person in here,” he said. UNLV, which last had a winning season and bowl appearance in 2000, has been searching for the right coach. Mike Sanford was fired in November. Hauck and Franchione certainly have had plenty of success. Hauck is 80-17 at Montana with Friday’s 23-21 loss to Villanova in the Football Championship Series national title game. Franchione, who works for ESPN Radio, has a history of turning around programs, mostly notably New Mexico and Texas Christian. A coaching hire is expected soon. – Las Vegas Review-Journal

UNLV wanted former Oregon AD Bill Moos

UNLV president Neal Smatresk’s first choice was former Oregon and Montana athletic director Bill Moos, said the sources, who spoke on the condition of confidentiality. An agreement with Moos broke down over a noncompete clause in the $2 million, 10-year buyout that the 58-year-old signed when he left Oregon in 2006, sources said. One source said UNLV and Oregon could have split the final $1.4 million of the buyout if Smatresk had agreed to do so. – Review-Journal

Bobby Hauck, Dennis Franchione leading candidates for UNLV

AD Jim Livengood immediately faces two major challenges at UNLV. The most urgent is finding a football coach to replace Mike Sanford, who was fired late in the season. Bobby Hauck and Dennis Franchione are thought to be the leading candidates. Hauck coaches Montana, which plays for the Football Championship Subdivision national title tonight. Franchione is known for producing success at downtrodden programs such as UNLV. One possibility that probably can be ruled out is hiring Arizona offensive coordinator Sonny Dykes, because Livengood said he considers head coaching experience a prerequisite for the Rebels job. “In terms of where we are now, I think that is better served by someone who’s been in that seat,” Livengood said. “This will sound offensive, but I don’t mean it like this, but probably not the right place right now to try and learn about the job. “That doesn’t mean there aren’t great coordinators out there.” The other significant issue Livengood faces is fundraising. – Review-Journal

Dirk Koetter interested in UNLV job

The quality of resumes of the coaches who have expressed an interest in UNLV — either directly or indirectly — is considerably higher than five years ago when Sanford was hired. According to one UNLV source, the top names who have shown interest are Bobby Hauck, Dennis Franchione and Dirk Koetter. Hauck is 78-16 in seven seasons at Montana, and recently was named Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year for the third time in four seasons. Franchione, who also coached Alabama and Texas A&M, turned around Mountain West Conference programs New Mexico and Texas Christian. Koetter, the Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator, was the coach at Boise State and Arizona State. – Review-Journal

Could Franchione be headed to UNLV?

It’s been nearly two years since Dennis Franchione left coaching. I have to believe that he’s missed it from the day he’s walked out the door at Texas A&M. Franchione’s name has emerged as a leading candidate for the vacant job at UNLV, according to the Rebel Nation blog published in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. According to the blog, sources indicated that Franchione has already inquired to school officials about the vacancy, created when Mike Sanford was fired earlier this week. Franchione is well-known in the Mountain West Conference, where he helped rebuild programs at New Mexico and TCU earlier in his career. And here’s the nugget that might be most attractive to the cash-strapped UNLV athletic department. Franchione is receiving a $4.4 million buyout from Texas A&M, including $1 million in 2010, minus what he earns at another job. – ESPN.com

UNLV Begins Search with Long, Impressive List

Indications are UNLV prefers someone with head coaching experience, and the following current head coaches have been floated: Idaho’s Robb Akey, Buffalo’s Turner Gill, Montana’s Bobby Hauck and Fresno State’s Pat Hill. Hill also has UNLV ties, having served as offensive coordinator in 1981 and 1982. But others have head coaching experience, such as Washington defensive coordinator Nick Holt (Idaho), Jacksonville Jaguars offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter (Boise State, Arizona State) and San Diego State defensive coordinator Rocky Long (New Mexico). The other names sources have mentioned are Robert Anae, Brigham Young offensive coordinator; Rob Ianello, Notre Dame assistant head coach; Andy Ludwig, California offensive coordinator; Brent Venables, Oklahoma defensive coordinator and associate head coach; and Kirby Wilson, Pittsburgh Steelers running backs coach. Three have local ties. Anae was UNLV’s offensive line coach in 1997 and 1998, overseeing the running game in the second season. Venables has recruited Las Vegas, helping the Sooners sign top players such as tailback DeMarco Murray. Wilson was a finalist for the UNLV coaching job in 2004 when Sanford was hired. Now it’s up to Rebels interim athletic director Jerry Koloskie to begin the search process — the permanent AD will finish it — and UNLV apparently is going to up the ante for a new coach. Sanford earned $425,000 per year; the new coach probably will make around $700,000. Sanford’s coordinators made between $145,000 and $170,000 annually; the successors probably will make more than $200,000. – Las Vegas Review-Journal

UNLV’s Mike Sanford will finish the season

UNLV coach Mike Sanford will not return next season. The school announced Sunday evening that Sanford has been fired, effective Dec. 5. Sanford will coach the Rebels final game of the season against San Diego State. Sanford is 15-43 during his five seasons at UNLV. He has never had a winning season during his time with the Rebels. UNLV is 4-7 this year… By staying until Dec. 5, Sanford will only be owed $225,000. If he had been fired before Dec. 4, the school would have owed him $287,500 per his contract. – ESPN

UNLV Fires Mike Sanford

The Mike Sanford era at UNLV will officially be over once the Rebels complete another disappointing season with their finale at Sam Boyd Stadium on Nov. 28 against San Diego State. Sources close to the situation confirmed the news to The Sun on Sunday night in the wake of the Rebels’ 45-17 loss on Saturday evening to Air Force. The athletic department later sent out a release with the news. The defeat dropped UNLV to 4-7, and for a second consecutive season under the fifth-year coach, a promising start to the campaign came to an unsavory halt down the stretch run. – Las Vegas Sun

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