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Jeff Choate - Texas Co-Defensive Coordinator

Head coaching record
Coaching career (HC unless noted)
Playing career
Biographical details
BornJuly 15, 1970 (age 52)
Columbus, Ohio
Alma materMontana Western (B.S., 1993)
1988–1991Montana Western
Position(s)Linebacker
1992–1993Montana Western (LB)
1994–1995Challis HS (ID)
1996Twin Falls HS (ID) (DC)
1997–2001Post Falls HS (ID)
2002Utah State (GA)
2003–2004Utah State (S/ST)
2005Eastern Illinois (ST)
2006–2008Boise State (RB/ST)
2009–2011Boise State (LB/ST)
2012Washington State (LB)
2013Florida (LB/ST)
2014–2015Washington (DL/ST)
2016–2020Montana State
2021–presentTexas (Co-DC/ILB)
Overall28–22 (college)
Tournaments3–2 (NCAA D-I playoffs)
 
Chris Petersen coaching tree and the guy who may have the closest relationship. He's the guy Pete brought to UW to instill his culture.


Worked for Petersen: 2006-2011 (special teams, running backs, linebackers at Boise State); 2014-15 (defensive line and special teams at Washington)

Choate left Petersen following the 2011 season, taking a pay cut to coach linebackers for first-year coach Mike Leach at Washington State. Choate aspired to be a head coach and believed he was unfairly judged by prospective employers as “just” a special-teams coach; he figured stepping into a position-specific role would enhance his résumé.

“I felt like I was kind of topped out (at Boise State),” Choate said. “I’d been doing the same thing for a while. We had been very successful, and there was not a lot of upward mobility for me on that staff. I knew I was going to have to move on. It was time.”

He spent one season at Washington State before accepting a defensive coordinator job under Kugler at UTEP. But before he could even coach a game there, he accepted a job coaching linebackers and special teams under Will Muschamp at Florida, where he worked for one season before re-joining Petersen at UW.

Choate earned rave reviews for his work with the Huskies’ young defensive line in 2015 — a group that included Elijah Qualls, Vita Vea and Greg Gaines — and led strong special-teams units, too. He used that as a springboard to Montana State, a job that suited his Montana roots — he played at Montana Western — and blue-collar football background.

One of the reasons Petersen coveted Choate was because of his familiarity with how he wanted to run things. Petersen needed his help in establishing the culture he sought at UW.

“I think he recognized the value that I brought in terms of bringing energy and teaching fundamentals, and it was a good place to kind of help get that program headed in the direction he wanted it to go,” Choate said.

Montana State looks similar, in a few ways, to Petersen’s program.

“I think it’s just a comfort level,” Choate said. “I worked with the man for eight years, so our practice structure is similar, how we travel. The routine things are what you really lock into. That’s kind of how you develop consistency, and how you model standards for your players.

“You have to be who you are, be true to yourself, but yet anybody who is around someone as smart and successful as Chris Petersen should take as much information as they can when they’re with them. I definitely think he helped prepare me to be a head coach.”

Choate said he takes advantage of not having to compete against the Huskies — unlike Wilcox and Smith — and probably speaks with Petersen more often because of that. Those conversations are valuable.

“You really only understand the problems of a head coach if you’re a head coach,” Choate said. “I find it really refreshing sometimes to talk to him. We can air our grievances with no consequences.”
 
So why did he leave MSU for an assistant job at Texas? Was it just because they didn’t play in 2020?
 
A bit more about him:


Here's why he left MSU:
Basically, he wanted to move on and take the next step in his career. He'd built the program and had 2 straight ranked teams with trips to the playoffs. His last season to the semis and a #4 rank. Then the 2020 season got canceled and when he didn't get the Boise State job in 2021 he decided to go to UT and parlay that into moving up to FBS HC.

Why I like him:

I believe that the Petersen program is the best model for CU to aspire to be. Unlike some other great cultures and systems, Petersen's has worked in our region and at a peer academic institution which doesn't want to be a football factory.

He has had a lot of big jobs at major universities outside of Petersen. Working for Muschamp at Florida and Sark at Texas is big tent college football. I also think Leach hiring him to his staff for his 1st year of the WSU rebuild is highly valuable experience.

Then there's the proven success as a Head Coach, turning Montana State into an FCS power.

For recruiting, ties to Texas and Florida in addition to Utah, Washington and Illinois is strong as is a deep network of coaches with whom he has worked.

When I saw his name on Feldman's list for the CU opening I didn't think much of it. But the more I read this morning, the more I think this could be the guy who checks all our boxes.
 
Why this guy and not Pete Kwiatkowski? Isn't he really Petersen's go to guy? He got overlooked for Jimmy Lake who turned out to be utter garbage. Not saying Choate is Jimmy Lake, but seems kinda funny Kwiatkowski seems like *the DC* yet gets passed up
 
Ehhhh doesn't do it for me. I want somebody who either is a sitting FBS HC or has been one within the last 3-4 years.
 
I always thought Kwiatkowski was the DC at UW. The title went to Lake as he was so valuable as a recruiter. That was always my suspicion.

now I wonder about the UT situation. Is he really at least co-brains there? If he is, and he can bring a defensive system with him, you can find that out they a process. But he’s got to be a smart guy. Was that a reason for success as a head coach?

I’m really Hawkins shy and would want real proof that this guy is really a co-DC and what made him successful as a HC.
 
Looking more into this guy, and he reminds me a bit of Leavitt. Now I know a lot of folks don’t look back fondly on Leavitt in his time at CU, but you have to admit he brought a lot of energy to the team and engagement with the fans. Choate seems like he brings that same kind of juice so it makes sense he would be a guy RG would consider. It also appears Choate might have some substance to him.
 
Is that a fat joke?
Cracking Up Lol GIF by America's Funniest Home Videos
 
FWIW Choate’s successor is 16-4 so they’ve been just as good or better since he left. Could be the program was setup by Choate to keep going, or I don’t actually know, just thought worth mentioning.
 
Why this guy and not Pete Kwiatkowski? Isn't he really Petersen's go to guy? He got overlooked for Jimmy Lake who turned out to be utter garbage. Not saying Choate is Jimmy Lake, but seems kinda funny Kwiatkowski seems like *the DC* yet gets passed up
I don't know about this one way or the other, but I had a good laugh when I looked at his Wiki:

1665409888322.png

Apparently whoever was real mad after (I'm guessing) the Tech game forgot to update Pete's profile after the Red River shootout.
 
Why this guy and not Pete Kwiatkowski? Isn't he really Petersen's go to guy? He got overlooked for Jimmy Lake who turned out to be utter garbage. Not saying Choate is Jimmy Lake, but seems kinda funny Kwiatkowski seems like *the DC* yet gets passed up
Kwiatkowski is much more of a DC by trade.

Choate was a ST Coordinator who was Petersen's go to guy for building the culture and leading the locker room. Choate took demotion to defensive position coach at other programs to build his resume there into someone more likely to get a HC job. He's a HC type of guy who has built his bona fides toward that goal, not someone who is an innovator on one side of the ball.

Choate is the HC candidate of the two. He would have to hire strong coordinators and he'd be a pure HC.
 
I don't know, I have a hard time being excited about Choate. His predecessor and his successor both have better record than him at Montana State. Is that a red flag? I don't know, but it does speak to the strength of the program.
 
FWIW Choate’s successor is 16-4 so they’ve been just as good or better since he left. Could be the program was setup by Choate to keep going, or I don’t actually know, just thought worth mentioning.
His predecessor at Montana State is a guy named Rob Ash. Ash coached MSU when I was in college in Greeley. They've always been pretty good. Ash had an FCS quarterfinals run and a couple trips to the 2nd round. Won 67% of his games. Had one real down year (5-6) in 2015. Choate won like 56% of his games at MSU, but had that one really deep run in 2019.

Choate's a guy I'd rather pass on. He can't be given credit for that rebuild if we're honest. The resume just isn't there for this gig.
 
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I watched a few video interviews with Choate, and I came away impressed. He comes across as very genuine, but also with a lot of energy.

I agree that his resume is still on the light side. He’s the type of hire that I wish Rich George had made when Tucker bolted. That was the time to pluck some up and comer, give them a favorable contract for CU, and see if you struck gold. For this cycle, it may be more risk than our foundering program can currently bear.
 
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