Hauck named AFCA Regional Coach of the Year

Postseason accolades continued to roll in for Montana head coach Bobby Hauck on Tuesday with the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) naming him the FCS Region 5 Coach of the Year. 

This marks the fourth time Hauck has been named AFCA Regional Coach of the Year in addition to 2006, 2009, and 2023. He was also named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson FCS Coach of the Year for the third time on Monday. 

Former Flathead Braves coach, Grizzly and Helena native Kyle Samson, now the head coach at Montana Tech in Butte, also received Region 5 Coach of the Year honors at the NAIA level after leading the Orediggers to an undefeated regular season at 11-0.  

The AFCA will announce the 2025 National Coach of the Year winners in FBS, FCS, Division II, Division III and NAIA on Monday, December 15. The Regional winners in each division are finalists for National Coach of the Year. 

Hauck is now 149-42 overall and 86-23 in two terms as the Grizzlies' head coach. His win percentage in conference games of .788 is the best percentage of the top 10 winningest coaches in league history. 

Two Griz, one Cat named Payton Award finalists 

Hauck wasn’t the only Grizzly in the limelight Tuesday as Keali’i Ah Yat and Michael Wortham were named finalists for the Walter Payton Award, given to the best FCS offensive player each season. 

It’s the first time that two Montana players have been named finalists for the award. 

Montana State’s Justing Lamson also earned a spot among the 30 finalists. 

Ah Yat leads the Big Sky and sits fourth in the FCS among quarterbacks in passing with 3,154 yards. His 25 passing touchdowns also lead the conference. He completed 68.7% of his passes on the way to an 11-1 regular season as the Grizzlies starter in his sophomore year. 

Wortham finished the regular season third in the FCS and top of the Big Sky in all-purpose yards at 156.6 per game. He nabbed seven receiving touchdowns and 822 receiving yards in just over five grabs per game. 

Lamson wrapped up his regular season on pace for the best completion percentage in Bobcats history at 72.4 percent. He has 20 touchdowns through the air and 2,345 yards passing with just two interceptions. He added 589 yards on the ground with 11 scores. 

Also named a finalist from the Big Sky is Sacramento State running back Rodney Hammond Jr.  

Caden Dowler highlights Buchanan finalists 

After locking down his third consecutive Big Sky defensive player of the week award, Caden Dowler found himself among the 30 finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award given to the best defensive player in the FCS. 

Dowler logged a pick-six for the second straight week as Montana State defeated Montana 31-28 in the 124th Brawl of the Wild and helped secure the Bobcats No. 2 seed for the FCS playoffs. 

He finished the season with four interceptions and 78 tackles with a pair of forced fumbles. 

Dowler is joined by UC Davis’ Jacob Psyk as the lone finalists from the Big Sky Conference. 

Davis is Rice Award finalist 

Awards lists continued to roll in Tuesday as Montana receiver Brooks Davis was named to the Jerry Rice Award finalists. 

The award is given to the best freshman in the FCS each season. 

Davis hauled in 48 passes for 611 yards and five touchdowns as a redshirt freshman for Montana. Those tally second among Griz receivers behind Wortham. 

UC Davis’ Caden Pinnick was also named a finalist for the award.