Colter Nuanez joins NSN Tonight to discuss Jeff Choate's hiring

continuing our coverage of Nevada football hiring its next leader in Jeff Cho he spent four years at Montana State and no reporter was closer to his Bobcat teams than Coulter Nanz he is the co-founder of skyline Sports which which covers all things Big Sky Athletics but you are located in the treasure state couter thanks so much for joining NSN tonight I got to ask you right away what does Nevada have in Jeff Cho oh man I'm so excited for you guys you guys have one of the most charismatic and energetic coaches that I've ever been around I mean Cho certainly he's not without flaw I mean everybody has flaw but he is as passionate and as steadfast of a leader as I've ever been around and from your seat Mike you're going to love this guy because he is a sound bite a minute I mean he's as good of an interview as I've ever been around so I think this is something that people around Nevada and around Reno should be very happy about awesome to hear we'll get some good content out of Coach Cho what can you say about his Bobcat teams four years in Boseman helped kind of Rise them back to prominence certainly did he took over a weird situation because Rob Ash had gotten let go even though Rob Ash was the winningest coach in Montana State history but coach Ash his program had sort of hit a peak and then was sort of on the downward Decline and people that are familiar with the big sky or or the state of Montana in general a lot of times the Rivalry between Montana Montana state is the single biggest thing on any coach's resume and that's sort of the story of both Rob Ash and Jeff Joe Rob Ash won 70 games in three Big Sky titles at Montana State but he only beat the Grizzlies twice in nine matchups Jeff choke beat the Grizz four times in a row and that in itself helped him build the momentum within his program I mean they were only four- seven year one and five- six in year two but wins against the Grizz gave him so much momentum into each offseason and then all of a sudden they hit hit this upward plane and then they were in the playoffs a couple times made it to the final four of the FCS playoffs for the first time since 1984 when they went in 2019 so Cho certainly used the Rivalry as sort of a springboard into momentum across the way but I mean if you talk about all the things he did at Montana State it's not just beating the Grizz it's not just you know several playoff wins like he had to me he fundamentally changed the entire attitude on campus because Montana had dominated Montana State so thoroughly for so long there was like this complex amongst Bobcat followers and Cho eliminated that as Danny sprinkle the former head coach of the basketball team there at MSU told me having Cho there was like when you're a kid and you're walking around the playground and you know that there's one dude who's the toughest guy on the playground so you walk around with him because then you know the bullies aren't going to pick on you that was like Cho he's the guy that just leads the whole way so from the Bobcat athletic complex that he helped fundraise for and build to The Stadium expansion to you know the the expansion of the quarterback Club he was as good in terms of the external stuff the fundraising stuff as as any coach I've ever been around pretty impressive to hear considering that was his first head coaching gig and yes I have heard he is known as the Grizz killer and that he will never have to buy a drink in Boseman ever again that's pretty good stuff what can you say about the product on the field and kind of the style of play from Jeff Cho's teams well you're definitely going to get a lot of physicality I ches as good of a recruiter as I've been around as well their defense in 2019 was was totally stacked uh a lot of those guys didn't actually end up playing their last year at Montana State till 2021 but you know two of them Troy Anderson who was a second round pick and Daniel Hardy who was a seventh round pick they both got drafted into the NFL and both of them are still playing in the league today and uh I mean from Cho's like final class there most of those guys didn't play their final year at MSU till 2021 but he put Five Guys in the NFL and there's been seven guys that CH recruited there uh to the NFL so he knows how to recruit Big Time guys he also is really good at maintaining relationships so I mean I wouldn't be I would I don't want to speculate too much but I wouldn't be surprised if some guys from Austin Texas are on on their way to Reno in short order because he brought in a whole handful of guys from Washington to to Montana State when he first got that job as well so uh recruiting is definitely one of his biggest things but in terms of the style that they play uh probably going to run a little bit of a a a mixed front they they ran a lot of buck end stuff so a guy that could put his hand out or stand up and make the front a little variable he really likes long rangey linebackers um that that's always been a high priority of his is just length in general in recruiting and uh offensively I'll actually be fascinated to see what they do because I they do they he has been pretty good at melding two Personnel I mean they were certainly a ground and pound type team with a ton of quarterback run game but part of that was circumstantial 2018 their starting quarterback was academically ineligible so they threw tro Anderson in there in quarterback because try Anderson is the greatest athlete in bigc conference history even though he's an NFL linebacker he was able to play quarterback for you know a season to get up to the playoffs somehow but either way I I I think run heavy physical style but that's the thing is Cho's a defensive guy he's a defensive coach and uh more than anything that the passion his teams play with is going to be very evident to people right away all right um what do you remember about when he left Cho left Boseman on his own accord and kind of said there's there's more goals out there for him and suddenly we see him Landing in Reno what do you remember about his exit well I I think that in a certain way his exit led him now to Nevada because first of all Cho is so high energy that he has a nearly impossible time just sitting still you guys you guys will just be so so amazed with how much uh just I mean he's just in your face about everything all the time but that's what makes him so great and so funny but he um the year that in 2020 the Big Sky did not play a fall season and so they had to have like this whole fall ball session where they didn't have any games to prepare for I think that made him incredibly antsy then he gets an opportunity to be a finalist at boyy State and he doesn't get it and they hire Andy Avalos instead well then you talk about um I I think that the number one thing that he didn't get the boisey job for was because they wanted him to have more power five or more you know FBS either head experience or coordinating experience ch ch had been an a assistant at boisey State at Washington or um you know at Utah State as well until he he arrived at Montana state but I think that that's what made him want to make the move to Texas because he knew how good Montana state was going to be he knew they had a chance and they went to the National Championship the year after he left so he was right but I I do think that he has been wanting to be a head coach again and I I know he's he's certainly had conversations about maybe where that would be but make no mistake he was in the mix at boisey this last time and they didn't hire him again and I know he's not happy about that and so uh he's going to come to Nevada Rino with a fullon vendetta against the Broncos and the rest of the Mountain West but certainly against the Broncos so don't be surprised if a bunch of guys that boyy state have offered all of a sudden they got Nevada offers don't be surprised if there's an assistant coach or two or three or five from Boise State staff that's on their way down to Reno do not be surprised because that's how CH rolls and he is as among the smartest people not just coaches that I've ever been around so uh pretty good day if you're in a vino to to get a dynamic higher like love to hear that and I know the Wolfpack fans do as well thanks so much for that awesome Insight he is cter do on as skylin Sports mt.com is the website if you want some Big Sky Sports in your daily digest and I have to let people know publicly you just got married a few days ago so congratulations to you and your bride couter and thank you so much for making some time here for us hey thanks so much man good to see you man and keep up the great work all right stay warm out there in the treasure state my man