Nevada hires Choate from Texas as football coach

Jeff Choate has been named the 28th head coach of the Nevada football program, University of Nevada Director of Athletics Stephanie Rempe announced Monday.

“I am incredibly pleased to introduce Jeff Choate as the next head football coach at the University of Nevada,” Rempe said in a news release. “Jeff has coached with and developed under the tutelage of some of the best football minds in the game. His style and vision fit everything we believe will build Wolf Pack Football back into a championship-caliber program.”

Choate comes to Nevada from Texas, where he has served as the co-defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach since 2021. Under Choate’s tutelage, the Longhorn defense tops the Big XII in rushing defense (80.8 ypg, third in the country), red-zone defense (71.4 percent, fourth in the country), scoring defense (17.5 points per game, 13th in the country), and total defense (321.7 yards per game, 23rd in the country), as the Longhorns racked up a 12-1 record, Big XII title, and a spot in the College Football Playoff.

"Becoming the head coach at an FBS program has always been my dream. 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,” Choate said.

Choate served four seasons (2016-20) as head coach at Montana State. There, he led the Bobcats to a combined 19-9 record over his final two seasons, making consecutive appearances in the FCS playoffs with a run to the semifinals in 2019.

Since starting as a graduate assistant at Utah State in 2002, Choate’s stops have included championship and top-10 programs as Boise State (2006-11), Montana State, and Texas. The Longhorns will face No. 2 Washington, where Choate spent two seasons (2014-15) as an assistant under Chris Petersen, in the 2024 Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day, and his resume includes two Fiesta Bowl titles (Boise State, 2007 and 2010).

Choate earned his bachelor’s degree from Montana Western in 1993, where he played linebacker. He and his wife, Janet, have one son, Jory, and a daughter, Jacy.