Choate gets head coaching job
Jeff Choate, former St. Maries High star and ex-football coach and athletic director at Post Falls High, on Friday was announced as the 32nd head football coach at Montana State.
Choate, 45, was defensive line coach and special team coordinator at the University of Washington the past two seasons.
“This is what I’ve worked my entire career for,” Choate said in a news release, “to lead a college football program.”
Choate replaces Rob Ash, fired two days after the Bobcats lost to Montana to finish the season 5-6 overall and 3-5 in the Big Sky Conference. Ash was 70-38 in nine seasons at Montana State, but only 2-7 against Montana.
“Jeff Choate is a well-respected person who has enjoyed coaching success throughout the Northwest and beyond at the high school and college level,” Montana State athletic director Peter Fields said. “He impressed everyone who came in contact with him during this process with his energy and integrity, as well as his ability as a football coach. He knows our state, and his background suits him for this job. We are very excited to welcome Jeff Choate to Montana State University and into the Bobcat family.”
Choate, 45, played linebacker at Montana Western, graduating in 1993. His coaching career began with the Bulldogs in 1991-93 before he began a high school career coaching career in Idaho. He became head football and track coach at Challis High (1994-96), was an assistant football, wrestling and baseball coach at Twin Falls High (1996-97), and was head football coach at Post Falls High (1997-2001). He was athletic director at Post Falls his final two years there.
“When I got into coaching I didn’t just set out to be a head coach,” said Choate, who grew up in St. Maries. “I’ve always wanted to be a Big Sky Conference coach. It’s the league I grew up around, and I have strong ties to Montana. One of my most enjoyable years in coaching was at Eastern Illinois in the FCS level because it’s a great balance between a great brand of football, talented players, and the commitment of the kids to getting an education, which is the reason we’re all in this.”
The Division I chapter of Choate’s coaching career began in 2002 at Utah State, where he coached the defensive line (2002) and specials teams and safeties (2003-04). He coordinated special teams and coached safeties at Eastern Illinois in 2005-06 before returning to Idaho. Choate worked as special teams coordinator from 2006-11, also coaching running backs (2006-08) and linebackers (2009-11). He was defensive run game coordinator and linebackers coach at Washington State in 2012, and after a brief time at UTEP in the spring of 2013 moved to Florida, where he coordinated special teams and coached outside linebackers. The next season he moved to University of Washington.
A news conference to formally introduce Choate is scheduled for Monday in Bozeman.