BOZEMAN -- The life of a football coach can be hectic. But Montana State head coach Jeff Choate has taken his newfound time off to enjoy the important things.
“Spent a lot of time with daughter (Jacy), which has been a huge bonus. She’s 16 years old, a sophomore in high school. How often am I going to spend this much time with her? Probably never again," Choate admitted. "She’s getting her driver's license, she just got her permit. So we kind of have to put our road hours in every day. So if I have errands that I have to do, she runs me around town.”
While he teaches Jacy how to drive, he’s loved being family-oriented ... for the most part.
“I just got a haircut yesterday. It was a pretty big day," said Choate. "My wife had tried to cut my hair and God bless her. I’ve been married to her for 25 years and part of the reason is that she’s never had to cut my hair. I was very much looking forward to getting a haircut.”
Hitting the breaks for once in what seems like forever has been a welcoming addition to Choate’s life.
“I haven’t been golfing. I’ve been hiking a bunch and working out when I can and doing yard work. That’s been awesome for me because my schedule is so regimented, I have so many obligations that I have to take care of, a lot of travel, that I’m really enjoying not doing anything,” he laughed.
For him, that means more home-cooked meals with his family and traveling a few days each week to their cabin in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho until football season is back up and running for Montana State.
