With the approval of his first contract by the Montana Board of Regents, new Montana State head football coach Jeff Choate is the highest paid college coach in the Treasure State.
Choate, who most recently coached defensive line on Chris Peterson’s staff at the University of Washington, signed his first contract, a 3-year deal, on January 7. Montana Commissioner of Higher Education Clay Christian signed the approval on January 26.
[restrict paid=”true”]The contract, which began on January 1 of 2016 and expires on December 31, 2018, ensures a base salary of $180,000. The contract also includes bonuses like a courtesy automobile each year, a $35,000 each for the Cat Chat radio show and the Bobcat Sports Report television program and a $25,000 guarantee for public speaking engagements and ticket sales campaigns. Choate is guaranteed $240,000 annually.
In Rob Ash’s final of nine seasons, he had a guarantee of $256,038. Montana head coach Bobby Hauck just signed a three-year contract with a base salary of $185,000, the same media guarantee as Choate and $20,000 for Grizzly Scholarship Association and other speaking events.
Choate’s contract is also packed with annual performance incentives, including a new clause absent from any Ash contract: a $10,000 bonus for beating rival Montana. Ash lost seven of nine matchups in his career against the Grizzlies.
Other performance incentives in Choate’s contract include:
- A $5,000 bonus each semester that the football team has a grade-point average of 2.75.
- $5,000 for each academic year with a cumulative 2.75 GPA.
Each year the team attains an annual NCAA academic progress rating of 945, 960, 975, 990 and 1,000 will receive each a $7,500 bonus.- Each year the team attains a graduation success rate as measured by the NCAA of 70 to 79 percent will ensure a $7,500; for 80 to 89 percent, 90 to 99 percent and 100 percent, a $5,000 bonus each.
- Choate will receive a $10,000 bonus each time MSU plays a Football Bowl Subdivision team. Section 3j of the contract ensures that MSU athletic director Peter Fields with consult with Choate prior to scheduling any such game. Choate will also receive a $10,000 for beating any FBS team.
- The contract includes a $5,000 bonus for maintaining or increasing season attendance. MSU averaged 19,172 fans per game last season, second in the Big Sky Conference and among the top averages in the Football Championship Subdivision.
- Choate will receive $10,000 bonuses each for Big Sky Conference, regional and national Coach of the Year honors
- The contract ensures a $12,500 bonus for winning or sharing the Big Sky Conference title.
- Choate will receive a $7,500 bonus for winning eight, nine, and 10 or more games.
- Each playoff big will be worth a $7,500 bonus, as will advancing to the second round of the FCS playoffs. A trip to the quarterfinals and semifinals will earn $10,000 bonuses each while a trip to the national title game will net a $15,000 bonus. Winning the national championship, a feat MSU has not accomplished since 1984, will earn Choate a $50,000 bonus.
Each performance bonus will be paid in a lump sum to Choate within 60 days of attainment. If Choate were to graduate 100 percent of his players with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 and a perfect academic progress rating while beating an FBS team during a 10-win national championship season that included Big Sky Coach of the Year, the league crown and a win over the Grizzlies, the contract could pay Choate a maximum of $525,000. Ash’s full bonus amount in his final season totaled the potential to earn $446,038.
Choate’s contract also includes a clause that ensures MSU will pay country club dues for the duration of his employment, provide travel for his wife, Janet, on charter flights or bus trips at his discretion without charge and provide complimentary tickets. Choate will receive six season tickets to football, eight individual tickets per football home game, and four tickets to each men’s and women’s basketball games.
Choate may elect to pay his assistant coaches incentives from raised funds provided “the cash supplement is in recognition of specific achievements and is in conformance with NCAA Bylaw. The contract also includes a clause for MSU’s sponsored summer camps for youths. To the extent camps generate a revenue that exceeds expenses, Choate may direct the use of those funds to his program or for the payment of additional competition for himself or his staff for all or part of the funds. Payment will be made 30 days following the completion of the camps.
Other clauses in the contract include: Choate must inform MSU athletics if he is looking for other jobs if more than six months remain on his existing deal; Choate must provide income and revenue statements for the program each September; Choate can be terminated at any time but must be provided written notice and given a week to appeal; If fired, Choate would still receive a pro-rated salary until the contract’s completion but he would have to pay back all liquidated damages that stem from his termination.
Montana State is the first college head coaching job for the 45-year-old Choate. The Saint Maries, Idaho native played linebacker before starting his coaching career at Montana Western in Dillon. Choate was the head coach at Challis (Idaho) High School for two seasons, Twin Falls High for a season in 1996 and Post Falls High for five seasons. In 2002, he joined former Montana Griz head coach Mick Dennehy’s staff at Utah State, where he coached for three seasons. In 2005, he made his lone stop in the FCS, coaching special teams at Eastern Illinois. In 2006, he joined Peterson’s staff at Boise State, where he coached running backs for three seasons and linebackers for three seasons, serving as the special teams coordinator for all six campaigns. Choate coached linebackers at Washington State in 2012, linebackers and special teams at Florida in 2013 before rejoining Peterson at Washington to coach defensive line and special teams.
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