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Jeff Choate’s failing Nevada Wolfpack

So you used to be a griz fan, then decided you wanted to be a Cat fan, and now you might go back to being a griz fan?

How many years before going back to being a Cat fan do you think? And then after that back to a griz fan? And back and then back and then back?
Grew up in a Griz family, family members played for Griz, went to many Griz games as a kid. Took a full ride scholarship to MSU. Pretty simple. However, as the years have gone by, and as my kiddos have gotten older I often tell myself that when and if they get a chance to pick between the two colleges in MT I’d much rather them attend UM.
 
Nevada makes 3.5 Million a year vs our 75k (saw that claim on here) for our TV deal, that alone would make them not regret being in the Big Sky.
I'd rather be poor and happy. Like great the university has a flush bank account now we get to watch the team try and scrape together 6 wins to play in the TJ Maxx holiday sweater bowl. Sam Houston was winning championships in FCS now they're 0-6. I really question why the fans should be so concerned about filling the University coffers.
 
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All of that just means less to me than a home playoff game.
The three weeks in 2023 when we got a snow game, Furman in OT with 2 Bergen return TD's, NDSU in double OT with another Bergen return and the legendary 2 point play are memories I will tell my grandkids one day. I wouldn't trade those moments for anything. Do you think JMU fans are going to be sitting around the fire in 40 years talking about their victory over Western Kentucky in the Boca Raton bowl last year? I doubt it.
 
Grew up in a Griz family, family members played for Griz, went to many Griz games as a kid. Took a full ride scholarship to MSU. Pretty simple. However, as the years have gone by, and as my kiddos have gotten older I often tell myself that when and if they get a chance to pick between the two colleges in MT I’d much rather them attend UM.
Gotta appreciate the perspective...!
 
A reason why Nevada could be regretting moving up right now is they do not have the funds or support to compete in the FBS regardless of who the coaching staff is. The facilities are worse than Montana’s, they do not have an indoor facility.
Winner! The support is non existent. RENO has the most fairweather fan base in the country.
They follow basketball well when they are winning but football gets zero support.
This year all of the preseason commercials for wolf pack football had Chris Ault in them and I never saw choate in a single one.
 
looks to me like choate continues to have a hard time finding a QB. Unfortunately, in the mountain west, you can’t just throw your best linebacker back there at QB and beat your rival 4 times in a row.

I really liked choate, his players absolutely loved the guy. He’s great at recruiting and developing talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

He played a huge role in getting the new athletic complex and indoor facility built. But i also think he may have burned some bridges with administration when he left.

i think nevada is a tough place for a coach to play and recruit….especially in the NIL era.
 
looks to me like choate continues to have a hard time finding a QB. Unfortunately, in the mountain west, you can’t just throw your best linebacker back there at QB and beat your rival 4 times in a row.

I really liked choate, his players absolutely loved the guy. He’s great at recruiting and developing talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

He played a huge role in getting the new athletic complex and indoor facility built. But i also think he may have burned some bridges with administration when he left.

i think nevada is a tough place for a coach to play and recruit….especially in the NIL era.
He had the kid from Dillon. He was lucky. U of M was floundering when he was head coach. Of course his players loved him. He was winning. Waded is gone. They would take him back. They would be fools, but they would do it.
 
He had the kid from Dillon. He was lucky. U of M was floundering when he was head coach. Of course his players loved him. He was winning. Waded is gone. They would take him back. They would be fools, but they would do it.
Maybe, but I would be surprised simply because I don’t think he and the athletic Director had a great relationship.

It will also be interesting to see what happens with coach vigan. Certainly he’ll receive some offers from from places who can pay significantly more, but he also has two kids playing on the bobcats right now.
 
looks to me like choate continues to have a hard time finding a QB. Unfortunately, in the mountain west, you can’t just throw your best linebacker back there at QB and beat your rival 4 times in a row.

I really liked choate, his players absolutely loved the guy. He’s great at recruiting and developing talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball.

He played a huge role in getting the new athletic complex and indoor facility built. But i also think he may have burned some bridges with administration when he left.

i think nevada is a tough place for a coach to play and recruit….especially in the NIL era.

Largely agree with what you said but I don't feel sorry for Choate--no one held a gun to his head and forced him to apply for and then accept the Nevada job. He wanted the job, they hired him, and now he owns the mess in Reno. Chris Ault he ain't !!!
 
Yep. Not exactly sure why non-FBS fans sneer at the bowl system. Lots of people show up (pretty good gate in many cases) and enough watch the broadcasts to make money for the sponsors. Sure, some write it off to publicity, but they consider that a worthwhile investment. The players – those that don't opt out – get to play another game and apparently get some pretty neat swag ... probably enhanced by the NIL windfall at the top.
My buddy’s brother played at Wyoming when they played in the Poinsettia Bowl in 2016. That was a smaller bowl game pre NIL and he got a lot of swag like clothes and backpack from participating in the game.
 
Largely agree with what you said but I don't feel sorry for Choate--no one held a gun to his head and forced him to apply for and then accept the Nevada job. He wanted the job, they hired him, and now he owns the mess in Reno. Chris Ault he ain't !!!
For sure. Totally agree. I think he’d probably agree with that as well.
 
Maybe, but I would be surprised simply because I don’t think he and the athletic Director had a great relationship.

It will also be interesting to see what happens with coach vigan. Certainly he’ll receive some offers from from places who can pay significantly more, but he also has two kids playing on the bobcats right now.
You might be correct. The kid thing is an interesting argument. Not sure it matters as much as we give it credit for. $$’s talk and so does opportunity. We have to remember the amount of times coaches move and sacrifice to get in a position where they finally make some money and call the shots. We will see. I think Vigan take calls and looks to move this time around. He probably leaned from the Washington State experience.
 
Maybe, but I would be surprised simply because I don’t think he and the athletic Director had a great relationship.

It will also be interesting to see what happens with coach vigan. Certainly he’ll receive some offers from from places who can pay significantly more, but he also has two kids playing on the bobcats right now.
You might be correct. The kid thing is an interesting argument. Not sure it matters as much as we give it credit for. $$’s talk and so does opportunity. We have to remember the amount of times coaches move and sacrifice to get in a position where they finally make some money and call the shots. We will see. I think Vigan take calls and looks to move this time around. He probably leaned from the Washington State
 
You might be correct. The kid thing is an interesting argument. Not sure it matters as much as we give it credit for. $$’s talk and so does opportunity. We have to remember the amount of times coaches move and sacrifice to get in a position where they finally make some money and call the shots. We will see. I think Vigan take calls and looks to move this time around. He probably leaned from the Washington State experience.
Maybe. I think the deal breaker that time around was that he said he wouldnt leave while msu was still playing.

I assume he’d still be pretty firm on that stance….but maybe not. 🤷‍♂️
 
Choate was at the right place at the right time. Also got very fortunate with the kid from Dillon and the kid from Butte. Choate is done having success because he was promoted above his level of competency. On another note, Nevada, New Mexico and UNLV are terrible jobs and programs.
Technically, Tommy never played for Choate, as that was the Covid year. His Freshman year was 2021, Vigen 1st year.
 
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