Montana State hires Washington assistant Jeff Choate as head football coach

Montana State hired Washington assistant Jeff Choate as its head football coach, the school announced Friday night.

Choate replaces Rob Ash, fired two days after the Bobcats lost to Montana to finish the season 5-6 overall and 3-5 in the Big Sky Conference.

Choate spent the past two seasons as the Huskies’ defensive line coach and special teams coordinator, reuniting with former Boise State coach Chris Petersen.

Choate was at Boise State from 2006-2011, spent 2012 as Washington State’s linebackers coach and 2013 as Florida’s linebackers coach and special teams coordinator.

He also has coached at Eastern Illinois, Utah State and his alma mater of Montana Western. His only previous head coaching experience came at Idaho high schools in Challis and Post Falls.

Ash was 7-38 in nine seasons at Montana State, going 2-7 against Montana.

Also, Petersen announced that wide receivers coach Brent Pease will not be retained for next season and will not coach for the Huskies in their upcoming bowl game.

Petersen said a “fresh start with the position group” was needed moving forward.

The rest of Washington’s assistants coaches have contracts that expire in late January.