BILLINGS — Every spring, the College of Montana athletic division takes its message and its fundraising muscle on the highway. And every spring, Griz soccer coach Bobby Hauck faucets into his lasting affection for his house state.

Final week, Hauck and a number of other of his fellow coaches and colleagues made their annual trek by central and japanese Montana, stopping in Nice Falls, Lewistown, Reduce Financial institution, Fort Benton, Glasgow and Sidney, and culminating with a barbeque and golf occasion Thursday and Friday within the Billings space.

The aim of the tour is to boost cash for the Grizzly Scholarship Affiliation. However Hauck, who was born in Missoula and raised in Huge Timber, additionally doesn’t miss the possibility to take the proverbial scenic route.

“Often it’s Freeway 2 and I-90, proper? And I-94,” Hauck stated following a fast lunch beneath blue skies on the patio at Hilands Golf Membership in Billings. “So we acquired off a bit of bit. We went down into Hays and Lodgepole, went by Jordan and Circle, Nashua and a few of these locations.

“It doesn’t say ‘Missoula’ on the entrance of our jerseys. It says ‘Montana,’ so I’ve at all times felt strongly that we have to spend time getting out round Montana. And I’ve acquired pals in virtually each city on this state. So it’s enjoyable. It’s enjoyable to see previous pals.”

Mates and followers love seeing Hauck, too, and his message to them this yr because it pertains to the progress of the UM soccer program was one in all “good cheer,” as he described it.

However it’s most likely greater than that.

The Grizzlies are coming off a 10-3 season that noticed them beat Pac-12 Washington and defeat arch-nemesis Montana State for the primary time since 2015. They blew out Huge Sky rival Japanese Washington at house within the playoffs earlier than succumbing to James Madison within the quarterfinals.

It was UM’s second straight 10-win marketing campaign in Hauck’s second stint as coach (his first stretch was 2003-09). And it set the tone for this coming season, which Hauck thinks may very well be fairly particular.

“Actually, the primary message is how a lot I like our crew, how a lot they love one another, how a lot they like to play, and the way a lot they like to play for Montana,” he stated. “I actually like this crew, each for what I believe they doubtlessly can do but additionally for who they’re.”

That’s not all.

Hauck was additionally keen to interact individuals on the subject of the ever-evolving nature of athletic infrastructure at UM, which can quickly embody a much-needed and long-awaited indoor apply facility.

Groundbreaking for the privately funded venture is anticipated to occur early subsequent yr.

“All people’s enthused,” Hauck stated. “I imply, we fell behind just a few years in the past and rapidly we’re catching up and attending to the place we have to be from a facility standpoint.

“I by no means actually felt earlier than that the services and infrastructure and a few of that met with the expectations. We saved increasing the stadium after which we weren’t essentially ‘minding the shop’ in addition to we wanted to.

“They’ve executed a very nice job, each our donors and our fundraising people to get this executed. It is all non-public {dollars}. It has been simply exceptional, the generosity of individuals. All these items provides us an opportunity to proceed to attain. We’re double-digit wins the final two seasons. Hopefully, that is the norm.”

With Hauck, all of it comes right down to soccer and molding this system into the Huge Sky powerhouse it had been throughout his first time as head coach — and the roughly twenty years previous to that.

Final season’s victory in opposition to Montana State, a 29-10 romp at Washington-Grizzly Stadium, restored the steadiness of energy within the rivalry in Hauck’s eyes.

It snapped a four-game Griz dropping skid to the Bobcats, a streak that hadn’t occurred for the reason that Seventies.

The Bobcats, although, have been those enjoying within the nationwide title sport, and have been the newest victims of the North Dakota State steamroller.

“It is dependent upon your perspective, proper?” Hauck stated. “You understand, I used to be completely happy for our gamers. I really like the best way our guys performed. I believed they performed just like the Griz ought to. And there is some issues we’ve acquired to do higher, but it surely’s at all times good to beat your rival.”

Hauck was 39 when he took over the Griz program as head coach the primary time in 2003. This system was a machine within the subsequent seven years, going 80-17 total and 47-6 within the Huge Sky Convention, and successful at the least a share of the league title every year with journeys to the nationwide title sport in 2004, 2008 and 2009.

In his remaining 4 seasons, the Grizzlies went 31-1 in Huge Sky video games.

Hauck left UM after the 2009 season to turn into the pinnacle coach at UNLV. He led the Runnin’ Rebels to a uncommon bowl sport look in 2013 however was purchased out of his contract after the next season.

He then spent three years teaching particular groups — his forte — at San Diego State earlier than returning to the Griz as head coach in 2018.

On reflection, his three title-game losses at UM, which got here by the hands of James Madison ’04, Richmond in ’08 and Villanova in ’09, don’t gnaw at Hauck.

The one sport that sticks with him probably the most, he stated, was UM’s first-round playoff loss to Wofford in 2007. The Terriers ran the triple choice to a 23-22 win in entrance of a shocked crowd. The Grizzlies had an opportunity to win it on the finish, however Dan Carpenter’s 47-yard subject objective try sailed extensive.

“That was our greatest crew,” Hauck stated.

Hauck turns 58 on June 14. He’s 108-29 in 11 complete years at Montana. The one factor eluding him is a nationwide title.

The strains on his face are longer and a bit extra pronounced, however what hasn’t modified is his expectation to win — and ultimately to win the most important sport of the yr on the finish of the season in Frisco, Texas.

“I do not actually consider that once we first got here again three seasons in the past that that was essentially the mindset of our crew,” Hauck stated. “I believe we do have that mindset again completely and absolutely, and (the gamers) additionally suppose that it is possible. So we’ll see. It’s an rectangular ball and also you’ve acquired to get some bounces right here and there to try this. However it’s possible for us, and it must be.”

Expectations haven’t modified, however some points do really feel totally different to Hauck in his second go-round as coach at his alma mater.

“I am having extra enjoyable,” he stated. “I used to be rather a lot youthful once I first began final time, and , it was all about, what is the profession path going to be? And this time round — I am not all that relaxed with regards to the soccer piece — I am extra relaxed when it comes to, it is all about Montana soccer and the Montana Grizzlies.

“I am not anxious about some other stuff. I simply, I care about our college and our state. And inside that, on the high of that pinnacle is our soccer crew. And that is form of all I am anxious about. So I am actually having a variety of enjoyable.”

Hauck will take the scenic path to unfold his message to followers and monetary helps of the Grizzlies throughout this huge state, and it’s maybe a metaphor for his personal profession — one which’s led the Grizzlies to the precipice of championship glory with the intent of ending the job.

“The concept that we are able to get out, have a bit of enjoyable and simply join with individuals, it’s good,” he stated. “Lots of these locations are small cities and persons are relationship-oriented. They know one another. And I believe that you’ll want to be in contact with Montanans otherwise you fall away from them.

“We’ve acquired to be out with these individuals and get them concerned. They wish to be concerned and we wish them concerned.”

Win or lose, Griz followers west to east and again once more will likely be alongside for the trip. Hauck wouldn’t have it some other approach.