Choate and MSU

[CatsNoMatterWhat]

Him being here for the semifinal game. Shaking the hand of Vigen. Still owning a home in Bozeman(I assume). And we're to believe he hates this place?

In his speech to his Nevada players that was filmed, he mentions his job is to take care of the players. If that was true he did a bum deal of taking care of then here. Leaving then high and dry.

I know a lot of people are going to disagree with this...but I'm not entirely sure a coach leaving after the season is over for a different job is leaving them high and dry.

Taking off at any point DURING the season (including spring/summer/fall camp)? That's a totally different discussion.

Choate left after the season had ended. Not sure we can say he did anything wrong. Doesn't mean we're happy about it...but I don't think he did anything morally untoward.

[asstastic]

I think anybody who is looking for reasons to throw shade at Coach Choate is trying hard to read between the lines. He left this place better than any other coach had in the 30 some years prior.

He took a new job and he’s trying from day 1 to build a new program. Him not wanting to talk about MSU and wanting to focus on the task at hand isn’t slighting us. I think people need to turn down their sensitivity meters. That’s the way he operates. Nobody had a problem with it when we beat the team over the hill 4 years in a row. Some have this underlying tone like we were owed 20 years.

[asstastic]

Him being here for the semifinal game. Shaking the hand of Vigen. Still owning a home in Bozeman(I assume). And we're to believe he hates this place?

In his speech to his Nevada players that was filmed, he mentions his job is to take care of the players. If that was true he did a bum deal of taking care of then here. Leaving then high and dry.

Explain how he did a bad job of taking care of our players here?

[AFCAT]

I'm seeing a lot of chatter on the margins in various threads regarding Choate having a poor relationship with MSU. Can anybody provide clarity on this? I'm among the many who feel like he rebuilt our program into what it is today...but did he end up having a poor relationship with Wadad and Costello? I've even seen it said he won't even mention his time at MSU...all seems very odd.

Can anybody clarify?

He pushed very hard for better facilities and funding for the program and didn't like the pace and/or feedback. He also hated the Big Sky conference with a passion of a thousand suns. Thought they were a joke of a league. Loved the FCS level...but Big Sky was no bueno. Also despised the Board of Regents which I don't blame him...it only increased his animosity to the Western neighbors.

So you're saying because the Board makes sure everything is fair, it made him resent the griz?

I believe it had something more to do with the Cats being able to move forward with some money for FCOA but the gris couldn’t and the Cats were being held back from offering it because the gris couldn’t match.

[Cataholic]

What a dumb thread. Choate built an incredible program here and left this place way stronger than when he arrived. He built a player culture that still exists today. Any players will tell you that he was a huge influence on their lives.

[kennethnoisewater]

What a dumb thread. Choate built an incredible program here and left this place way stronger than when he arrived. He built a player culture that still exists today. Any players will tell you that he was a huge influence on their lives.

He was great and I wish he was still here. He did a great job. Players love him and he loves them. No disputing that.

It also true that he has some bad blood with MSU and I've heard a little bit of it right from his mouth.

Moving on is a breakup. You hope it goes well but it doesn't always. Doesn't mean the time together wasn't great.

[TheJoeGoldstone]

I think anybody who is looking for reasons to throw shade at Coach Choate is trying hard to read between the lines. He left this place better than any other coach had in the 30 some years prior.

He took a new job and he’s trying from day 1 to build a new program. Him not wanting to talk about MSU and wanting to focus on the task at hand isn’t slighting us. I think people need to turn down their sensitivity meters. That’s the way he operates. Nobody had a problem with it when we beat the team over the hill 4 years in a row. Some have this underlying tone like we were owed 20 years.

We aren’t owed 20 yrs at all. It would just be so nice if we could return the favor!
I agree with your Choate facts. The Cats accomplished more toward a championship level team in 4 yrs with Choate than with the majority of his predecessors dating back to 1987.

[Bobcat4Ever]

I noticed tht in his introduction At Nevada. A reporter kept asking him questions about his time at MSU, the cat-griz rivalry and how he is the griz killer…. Every time Choate immediately deflected the question to talk about something else. Like it was pretty obvious he did not want to talk about his time in bozeman…. Also kept saying his goal all his career was to eventually become a head coach….

Anyway, thought it was weird.

When you are being introduced as the head coach at any FBS school, your FCS background (even though it helped you get hired) is just not cool to talk about. Remember, FBS schools are “FBS or it doesn’t exist.” I wouldn’t have mentioned it either. Texas, Washington, Florida, that’s what the boosters want to hear. Look at all the garbage that Troy got in Atlanta. Immediately dismissed by many as being FCS. Choate was smart.

[ND0479]

He could have negative feelings toward Leon and even Waded, for whatever reason, and still not have negative feelings towards MSU. His son still played a couple years after his departure and still lives in Bozeman (I think).

Like BB said, the no football during Covid pissed him off. Then he was basically out the door for a better job - Boise, and then that fell apart. He was basically done at that point...his "Unfinished business" tweet after Boise passed on him, was just saving face in case he stayed at MSU.

[mslacatfan]

What a dumb thread. Choate built an incredible program here and left this place way stronger than when he arrived. He built a player culture that still exists today. Any players will tell you that he was a huge influence on their lives.

I think it’s an interesting topic.

I don’t think people are taking anything away from what he did here. He helped take this program to the next level, no question about it! 99% of fans love choate.

[lutecat]

I noticed tht in his introduction At Nevada. A reporter kept asking him questions about his time at MSU, the cat-griz rivalry and how he is the griz killer…. Every time Choate immediately deflected the question to talk about something else. Like it was pretty obvious he did not want to talk about his time in bozeman…. Also kept saying his goal all his career was to eventually become a head coach….

Anyway, thought it was weird.

When you are being introduced as the head coach at any FBS school, your FCS background (even though it helped you get hired) is just not cool to talk about. Remember, FBS schools are “FBS or it doesn’t exist.” I wouldn’t have mentioned it either. Texas, Washington, Florida, that’s what the boosters want to hear. Look at all the garbage that Troy got in Atlanta. Immediately dismissed by many as being FCS. Choate was smart.

This is a good point. It occurred to me as that guy was asking his questions that it was odd the reporter wanted to dwell on MSU.

[lutecat]

Him being here for the semifinal game. Shaking the hand of Vigen. Still owning a home in Bozeman(I assume). And we're to believe he hates this place?

In his speech to his Nevada players that was filmed, he mentions his job is to take care of the players. If that was true he did a bum deal of taking care of then here. Leaving then high and dry.

Explain how he did a bad job of taking care of our players here?

You're correct Mr. Tastic. I guess I was kind of shocked by this thread and I went into WTF mode.

[lutecat]

What a dumb thread. Choate built an incredible program here and left this place way stronger than when he arrived. He built a player culture that still exists today. Any players will tell you that he was a huge influence on their lives.

I think it’s an interesting topic.

I don’t think people are taking anything away from what he did here. He helped take this program to the next level, no question about it! 99% of fans love choate.

Agreed. Don't be sad because it's over. Be happy because he was here. And I am definitely that.

[84CatGrad]

I'm not sure I'm buying any of this. He came back many times - yes I know he had a son playing here - and showed up at the MSU-Sam Houston playoff game. Why would he not elaborate about MSU/Bozeman at his UN presser? Because he wants all the focus on the task at hand - his new job. None of this conjecture will tarnish my memories of him. 4-0 lasts forever.

[BleedingBLue]

I'm not sure I'm buying any of this. He came back many times - yes I know he had a son playing here - and showed up at the MSU-Sam Houston playoff game. Why would he not elaborate about MSU/Bozeman at his UN presser? Because he wants all the focus on the task at hand - his new job. None of this conjecture will tarnish my memories of him. 4-0 lasts forever.

He was also at the National Championship game. I think that had more to do with supporting his son and his dudes, than supporting the university though.

[BgCATfan]

I'm not sure I'm buying any of this. He came back many times - yes I know he had a son playing here - and showed up at the MSU-Sam Houston playoff game. Why would he not elaborate about MSU/Bozeman at his UN presser? Because he wants all the focus on the task at hand - his new job. None of this conjecture will tarnish my memories of him. 4-0 lasts forever.

He was also at the National Championship game. I think that had more to do with supporting his son and his dudes, than supporting the university though.

I also think he was there more to support his son.
He stood in line for an hour to get into the stadium just like everyone else also, we were right behind him, he looked like he was having a blast.

[catsrback76]

It’s safe to say that MSU was always going to be a stepping stone on the climb to where he is today. He’s reached the promised land that was always his goal. He DID however have to produce at MSU and he did and we’re where we are because he was here. 4 wins against the gris and playoffs was definitely what we needed following the end of the Ash era.

Glad he came, glad he left us better…but he was never going to stay and at least to me, that much was clear from day 1!

[Colter_Nuanez]

I noticed tht in his introduction At Nevada. A reporter kept asking him questions about his time at MSU, the cat-griz rivalry and how he is the griz killer…. Every time Choate immediately deflected the question to talk about something else. Like it was pretty obvious he did not want to talk about his time in bozeman…. Also kept saying his goal all his career was to eventually become a head coach….

Anyway, thought it was weird.

When you are being introduced as the head coach at any FBS school, your FCS background (even though it helped you get hired) is just not cool to talk about. Remember, FBS schools are “FBS or it doesn’t exist.” I wouldn’t have mentioned it either. Texas, Washington, Florida, that’s what the boosters want to hear. Look at all the garbage that Troy got in Atlanta. Immediately dismissed by many as being FCS. Choate was smart.

This is a good point. It occurred to me as that guy was asking his questions that it was odd the reporter wanted to dwell on MSU.

The reporter used to work in Billings and is a good friend of mine. We had just done a zoom call about Choate, so I think he had those things on his mind.

If you remember correctly, when Choate was hired at MSU, he did not talk about Boise State or Washington unless he was either pissed about not getting buy in for the things he knew MSU needed or someone directly asked him to compare and contrast. Otherwise, he preached his forward-thinking vision, just like he's doing now at Nevada.

[PHAT CAT]

Jeffery is the man. He took the money Rob was using for Black Bull membership and used it for a filling station. He was for the kids and what they needed. He said if he wanted to golf, he would pay for it himself. That's just one selfless thing he did. But it was big. I don't care who he might of had a beef with. The dude got us turned around. BIG TIME. Thanks, Coach.

[exppi]

I noticed tht in his introduction At Nevada. A reporter kept asking him questions about his time at MSU, the cat-griz rivalry and how he is the griz killer…. Every time Choate immediately deflected the question to talk about something else. Like it was pretty obvious he did not want to talk about his time in bozeman…. Also kept saying his goal all his career was to eventually become a head coach….

Anyway, thought it was weird.

When you are being introduced as the head coach at any FBS school, your FCS background (even though it helped you get hired) is just not cool to talk about. Remember, FBS schools are “FBS or it doesn’t exist.” I wouldn’t have mentioned it either. Texas, Washington, Florida, that’s what the boosters want to hear. Look at all the garbage that Troy got in Atlanta. Immediately dismissed by many as being FCS. Choate was smart.

This is a good point. It occurred to me as that guy was asking his questions that it was odd the reporter wanted to dwell on MSU.

The reporter used to work in Billings and is a good friend of mine. We had just done a zoom call about Choate, so I think he had those things on his mind.

If you remember correctly, when Choate was hired at MSU, he did not talk about Boise State or Washington unless he was either pissed about not getting buy in for the things he knew MSU needed or someone directly asked him to compare and contrast. Otherwise, he preached his forward-thinking vision, just like he's doing now at Nevada.

Which is a smart tactic. He won’t be able to steer it that way forever with Kane as his DC though. People will ask questions about their working relationship before. And he clearly is a man there to do a job and take care of the kids. Office politics is annoying and can turn a good situation bad quickly. COVID politics were even worse.