By Bruce Feldman, Sam Khan Jr. and Chris Vannini
Nevada hired Texas co-defensive coordinator/inside linebackers coach Jeff Choate as head coach, the school announced Monday. He will continue to coach with Texas through the College Football Playoff, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said.
Choate, 53, spent a decade in the Mountain West as an assistant at Utah State and Boise State before taking assistant coaching jobs at the Power 5 level with Washington State, Florida and Washington. He was head coach at Montana State from 2016-2020. Choate built up the Bobcats from a 4-8 debut in 2016 to 11-4 in his last season, when the Bobcats also ranked No. 4 in the country.
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Choate stepped down from Montana State in 2020 due to the challenges facing FCS football in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic before taking a job on head coach Steve Sarkisian’s staff at Texas.
What Choate brings to Nevada
Sarkisian in the past has called Choate a tremendous teacher and excellent motivator. It has shown in the way Choate has developed his players in his three seasons at Texas. Linebackers Jaylan Ford and David Gbenda are just two examples of players who have grown by leaps and bounds in the last three seasons under Choate’s tutelage — Ford into one of the premier defensive players in the country and Gbenda from a role player to someone who has a legitimate impact on Texas’ defense.
On the recruiting trail, Choate often received high marks from players and their families for his ability to forge and maintain relationships. He put relentless effort into that part of the job, connecting whenever allowed to in-person and staying in regular communication throughout the recruiting process. — Sam Khan Jr., Texpert
What does Nevada need out of Choate?
This a program that has seen facilities and resources fall behind its conference-mates. It doesn’t have an indoor practice facility, and it lost former head coach Jay Norvell to Colorado State after the 2021 season. But it’s also a program with a recent winning history, reaching 14 bowl games in 17 seasons from 2005 to ’21. Choate knows how to rebuild a program, as he did at Montana State, and he knows this area of the country really well. The question is if Nevada can hang in this new NIL/portal era of college football. — Chris Vannini, senior college football writer
What they’re saying
“Becoming the head coach at an FBS program has always been my dream,” Choate said in a news release. “Along my journey, I’ve been fortunate to work with some exceptional individuals—players, coaches, and mentors—whose influence has shaped me both as a person and a coach. I owe a heartfelt thank you to my family for their unwavering support; they have been my anchor through every climb and challenge.”
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Nevada athletic director Stephanie Rempe said Choate’s “style and vision fit everything we believe will build Wolf Pack Football back into a championship-caliber program.” Rempe added: “Whether as a head coach or an assistant, Jeff has continually developed programs and student athletes into champions throughout his career.”
Sarkisian said he is “so happy for Coach Choate and his opportunity to lead the program at Nevada.”
“He’s a tremendous coach, such a high-energy guy, and is passionate about the players,” Sarkisian said in a statement Monday. “He has tons of experience, all the traits you want in a head coach, is a tremendous leader in every way, and will do great things for Wolf Pack Football.”
Required reading
(Photo of Choate, right: Stephen Spillman / USA Today)
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