quotes from bobby hauck’s first season as unlv coach

Bobby Hauck is not one to make outlandish statements, so what he says rarely ends up on an opposing team's bulletin board.

But UNLV's football coach also speaks his mind, and what he's had to say since being hired nearly a year ago tells the story of a difficult season.

The Review-Journal compiled 10 of Hauck's quotes that speak to the demanding job of trying to turn around a program with a long history of losing.

The 2-10 Rebels complete their first season under Hauck at 7:30 p.m. PST Saturday at No. 25 Hawaii (9-3).

1. introductory news conference Dec. 23, 2009.

"I think people here are hungry for us to have a football team that plays well and wins some games. Basically, enthusiasm will be generated if we're worth watching and can get a few wins, and we're going to be that. We'll be a physical football team, we're going to pay attention to details, we're going to do things right. The core tendencies of this program are going to be hard work and work ethic, mental and physical toughness and discipline."

2. Hauck's first UNLV signing day Feb. 3 (Eight of the 21 players who signed have played).

"It was a pretty frenzied effort over the last four weeks. I'm pleased with the results. We like the guys in this class."

3. The most difficult schedule in Rebels history Is released March 29.

"We've got our hands full."

4. spring-ending scrimmage April 17.

"We've learned to play hard in stretches, but I don't think we've learned to play well yet. The execution isn't sharp enough. I mean, certainly the way we played today wouldn't get us a win in the fall."

5. Junior Mike Clausen Is named the starting quarterback over senior and returning starter Omar Clayton on Aug. 30. But Clayton takeS back the job the following week, and Clausen soon moveS to free safety.

"Mike had a slight upper hand. With that being said, I anticipate Omar Clayton will play a substantial number of snaps this year."

6. UNLV beatS New Mexico 45-10 on Sept. 25 for Hauck's first Rebels victory.

"I'm excited for our kids. A lot of times when you get into a little bit of a losing streak, your character flaws show up. We didn't have any of that this week."

7. The Rebels play 12 freshmen in a 49-10 loss at West Virginia on Oct. 9.

"We're trying to grow for the future, but we're not giving up on our season. We're trying to win games. So we want to do both."

8. The Rebels list 24 players on the injury report the week of AN Oct. 30 game against Texas Christian, a 48-6 UNLV loss.

"I don't know if I've ever been around anything like it."

9. UNLV sufferS one of the worst defeats in ITS history, 55-7 at Brigham Young on Nov. 6.

"I'm really disappointed with the way we played, and frankly I don't think that we have enough toughness on our football team, in particular mental toughness, and that starts with the head coach not being tough enough. So I've got to improve myself and spend the next 10 months developing toughness on our football team, because when things go wrong for us, we have a tendency to let things snowball on us."

10. With A long season winding down, Hauck saYS the week of Saturday's 48-14 loss at San Diego State, he dOESn't have a SPECIFIC timetable for a UNLV turnaround.

"Sooner rather than later. I'm not a patient type."

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914.