A tall mountain to climb

With its warm weather, bright lights, fancy hotels and restaurants, and close proximity to major cities like Los Angeles and Phoenix, UNLV has long been regarded as a sleeping giant among college football coaches.

After all, who doesn't like to come to Las Vegas for a nice weekend or two?

But despite all the fancy trappings, the school's football program has been a coaching graveyard.

John Robinson, inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame earlier this year, looked like he might turn things around following an impressive start that included a 31-14 thumping of Arkansas in the 2000 Las Vegas Bowl. But Robinson, saddled with the added duties of also running the school's athletic department and caring for an ill wife, eventually retired after just a 2-9 season in 2004.

The two coaches who sandwiched the Robinson Era, Jeff Horton and Mike Sanford, were both considered strong recruiters who are still very highly regarded in the coaching fraternity. But Horton was fired following a 0-11 season in 1998 while Sanford was shown the gate after his fifth straight losing campaign last December. Both won less than 30-percent of their games.

Enter 46-year-old Bobby Hauck, a product of Sweet Grass High School in that well-known cradle of football coaches known as Big Timber, Mont.

Don't laugh. Big Timber and its population of just 1,650 can now boost a Division I head coach in Bobby Hauck and also an NFL assistant in brother Tim Hauck, who coaches defensive backs for the Tennessee Titans following a distinguished 13-year NFL career at that position.

Hauck's father, Bobby Sr., a successful high school coach, gets much of the credit for that. His mom, Eleanore, had hoped Bobby might pursue becoming a lawyer.

"Dad was a coach so that was the last thing my mom wanted any of us to be, either teachers or coaches," Hauck said. "But that's where everybody gravitated. It's probably because my dad was such a special guy. He was a guy you kind of wanted to emulate."

Bobby Jr. helped lead Sweet Grass to the state championship game as a quarterback and defensive back. He spent many a night breaking down film with his father, who died in March of 2008 from a heart attack.

"It drove my mom crazy because it was football from the time we got up in the morning until the time we went to bed at night," Hauck said. "But it was fun. Those were the old 16-millimeter days. We had projectors at home and spent a lot of time at night at home talking football. He was always real good that if we weren't really into it and didn't want to do it he wouldn't make us. But Tim and I always had that urge to do it and study.

"Dad was a great coach and that's a unique relationship when your kids are playing for you. Sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't.

"He was a great guy and a great guy to play for. I guarantee you I couldn't coach my own son (Robby). It just wouldn't work. He's 11 and I can already tell it wouldn't work."

Bobby Hauck went to the University of Montana to play defensive back but quickly found his way into coaching.

"Brief," Hauck said when asked how long his career with the Grizzlies was. But after a year as an assistant coach at Big Timber, Hauck hooked on as a volunteer assistant for the Grizz in 1988, working with the secondary and then inside linebackers.

Hauck got his big break in 1990 when he became a graduate assistant for UCLA head coach Terry Donahue and worked closely with a wide receivers assistant named Rick Neuheisel. Neuheisel eventually would become the head coach at both Colorado (1995-98) and Washington (1999-2002) and hired Hauck as an assistant at both stops. I was just real fortunate that some people gave me some opportunities because I don't know if I really deserve them," Hauck said. "But Don Read, the head coach at Montana, and his defensive coordinator, Jerome Sowers, now the current coach at NAU, Terry Donahue, Rick Neuheisel, they're all guys that gave me opportunities, and I'm indebted to those guys."

Hauck landed his first head coaching job at his alma mater, Montana, after the 2002 season and coached the Grizzlies to seven straight Big Sky championships and three trips to the Football Championship Subdivision (formerly 1-AA) Championship game, including last season when the team finished 14-1. He compiled a very impressive record of 80-17 (82.5 percent) in Missoula including a 47-6 mark (88.7 percent) in Big Sky play.

Now he tackles the task of trying to build UNLV, which has won a total of 14 games over the last four seasons combined, into a Mountain West Conference contender. Neuheisel, now the head coach at UCLA, believes Hauck has what it takes to do it.

"I think UNLV's very fortunate to have him," Neuheisel said. "I know he wanted the job desperately, and I think it's a great marriage. You're going to be excited with what he'll do there."

So why is it that Hauck can be successful at a program that folks like Robinson and Sanford failed at?

"Number one, he's a fabulous recruiter, and you can't have a great program without great players," Neuheisel said. "He's going to make sure everybody around the country is going to know about UNLV football and he'll be tireless with respect to bringing guys in there. He'll be great in homes.

"He's a hard-nosed football coach. He grew up in a football family. He's got a good crew around him, guys that he knows and trusts. I think those kids are going to rally around him. ... I just expect great things from him."

Hauck believes he can turn the Rebels into a winning Mountain West program.

"I'm firmly convinced that we can win games here," he said. "Who knows how far we can go and where we can take our program here but I think the future is bright in terms of being a real competitor and a factor in the Mountain West Conference race. I think the only variable is time. But I think we can do it."

Here's a look the 2010 Rebel football team:

SCOUTING THE OFFENSE

Senior Omar Clayton and battling junior Mike Clausen for the starting quarterback job which will likely be decided after this afternoon's final scrimmage at Rebel Park.

Clayton finished spring practice at No. 1 and has 23 starts under his belt. He already ranks sixth in school history in passing yardage (4,742 yards) and is tops in completion percentage (60.1 percent).

The left-handed Clausen also has started four games in his career and is a powerful runner, rushing for nine touchdowns. Waiting in the wings is impressive redshirt freshman Caleb Herring.

Junior C.J. Cox entered fall camp at the top of the running back depth chart but was sidelined for a couple of weeks with an injury. That has opened the door for redshirt freshman Bradley Randle and senior Channing Trotter, who started all 12 games as a junior when he gained 541 yards and scored nine touchdowns.

The Rebels must replace record-setting wide receiver Ryan Wolfe (283 career receptions) but junior Phillip Payne, a preseason first team all-MWC pick who has 14 career touchdown receptions and is almost unstoppable near the end zone, returns as does steady junior playmaker Michael Johnson (58 catches for 661 yards in 2009).

And look for junior tight end Austin Harrington, one of the top performers in fall camp, to play a key role, especially in third down situations.

The offensive line, led by senior guard/center John Gianninoto and tackle Matt Murphy, could be a team strength if it can stay healthy.

SCOUTING THE DEFENSE

The Rebels were woefully inept on this side of the ball last season ranking a pitiful 115th nationally in total defense allowing an average of 456.2 yards per game, including 220.6 ypg on the ground.

The interior, led by senior tackle Isaako Aaitui, appears to be solid. The key will be on the perimeter where ends Preston Books, B.J. Bell, Daniel Mareko, Beau Brence and James Dunlap, who also has seen time inside, need to come up big.

The Rebels must replace up-and-down Jason Beauchamp at linebacker but have a solid starting unit led by senior middle linebacker Ronnie Paulo. A healthy Starr Fuimaono for a whole season at weakside linebacker is crucial.

The secondary, led by senior safety Alex De Giacomo and junior corner Will Chandler, appeared to improved during fall camp but lacks depth.

SCOUTING THE SPECIAL TEAMS

The graduation of Kyle Watson, who didn't miss an extra point during his UNLV career and was a better than average punter (42.6 yard avg.) last season, is a big one as is the loss of long snapper Kamu Kapanui.

Senior Ben Jaekle returns to handle kickoff duties and is also battling true freshman Nolan Kohorst from Green Valley High School for placekicking duties.

Senior Brendon Lamers, now in his third year at the school after earning a scholarship from ex-coach Mike Sanford, is expected to take over punting duties.

Junior Deante' Purvis, who last year broke the Mountain West Conference record for most returns (50) and yards (1,165 yards), including a 94-yard touchdown against BYU, returns to help handle return duties.