Jeff Choate Will Coach For Texas Longhorns College Football Playoff Run

Texas co-defensive coordinator will be on the sidelines for the Longhorns' College Football Playoff run

While Jeff Choate will take over in Reno next season as Nevada's next head coach, he intends to be with the Texas Longhorns throughout their postseason run. 

The Longhorns co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach was introduced as the Wolf Pack's newest head coach Monday following the firing of Ken Wilson. He'll take over a program that went 4-20 over the past two seasons following the departure of Jay Norvell.

When asked of his role with the No. 3 Longhorns amid preparation for their matchup against No. 2 Washington in the Sugar Bowl, Choate said he would be balancing act between the two schools. 

"My primary responsibility is to these young men at this institution at this point," said Choate. "But Coach (Steve) Sarkisian has been through these experiences too as an assistant coach taking a head coaching role. 

"How many times are you going to get to play for a national championship? It’s not really about me. It’s about providing consistency for the players on the defensive side of the ball so that when we go to install meetings or we go to practice, the rhythm of their day is the same. The balancing act is really going to be once we start bowl practices." 

Texas linebackers coach Jeff Choate with Longhorns linebackers David Gbenda and DeMarvion Overshown / USA Today Sports

Choate mentioned that playoff practice won't begin until Dec. 15, giving him nearly two weeks to meet with Wolf Pack players and build a recruiting class before returning to Austin. 

"There’s going to be some long days, but I think the right thing to do is to provide consistency and stability for the guys in the program there and finish the mission at Texas," said Choate. "In the interim, I will have had a chance to put the pieces in place to move this thing forward."

Choate joined Sarkisian's coaching staff after four years as FCS Montana State's head coach. He went 28-22 with the Bobcats, including posting an 11-4 record during the 2020 season. 

During his three seasons with the Longhorns, Choate established an identity at the linebacker position, helping develop talents like DeMarvion Overshown, Jaylan Ford, David Gbena, and Anthony Hill Jr. He also was a pivotal element to the Longhorns' dominance on the recruiting trail defensively. 

This past season, the Longhorns boasted one of the nation's top run defenses, headlined by Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year T'Vondre Sweat and Byron Murphy, holding opponents to 80.8 yards per game. Ford and Hill were also staples of Texas's No. 13 scoring defense. 

“I’m so happy for Coach Choate and his opportunity to lead the program at Nevada," Sarkisian said in a statement. "He’s a tremendous coach, such a high-energy guy, and is passionate about the players. 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. We’re so grateful for everything he did for Texas and are excited that he’s going to continue to coach with us through the CFP.”

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Choate's background in the Mountain West area should help him build a competitive roster in the coming years as a member of the Mountain West Conference. Prior to being hired by Montana State, Choate made stops at Utah State (2002), Boise State (2006-11), Washington State (2012) and Washington (2014-15). 

A longtime disciple of former Boise State and Washington coach Chris Petersen, Choate was on staff for the Broncos' miraculous Fiesta Bowl upset over Oklahoma in 2007.