strong women stand beside msu coaches...strong individuals. look behind the leader, where a...

Eleanor Roosevelt was credited with the idiom, “Behind every great man stands a great woman.” Words well spoken by a woman married

STRONG WOMEN STAND BESIDE MSU COACHES

(GRID)

BY VANESSA MCMURRAY

“To Win A Game, Coaches Have To In!uence Players—Well, We In!uence The Coaches.” ~ JANET CHOATE

to a paralyzed politician. It was at her urging that Franklin Delano Roosevelt ran for and became the 32nd President when others encouraged him to retire after his bout with polio. Strength of the team will catapult a man to the highest of!ce in the country, and on the football !eld, games and

conferences are won by coaches that surround themselves with strong individuals. Look behind the leader, where a multitude of talented people work. These individuals must believe in team. Ten women were chosen to make the strength of team point for

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Coach Jeff Choate. They are the wives of Montana State University’s football staff. Janet has been married to Jeff Choate for 24 years. She grew up in Dillon, Montana and received an Art Education Degree from Western Montana College. Besides being Jory (20) and Jacy’s (16) mom, Janet has taught art in several schools and presently is overseeing the interior design work of a boutique hotel in Dillon. Jory plays for the ‘Cats (#32), which adds another dimension to Janet’s lfe as a coach’s wife. While balancing those roles, when August arrives, Janet rallies the other wives to set goals for the upcoming season. She and her team discuss how they will conduct themselves with regard to media, what their goals are, and how they can support each other. “To win a game, coaches have to in"uence players—well, we in"uence the coaches,” says Janet. She works hard to make that in"uence strong and positive, as is evident in the other women she works with.

By Janet’s side for the !fth year is Jordan Moore, whose husband, Cole, is the Director of Football Operations. She is a Washington girl, and met her husband while he was playing football for the ‘Cats. Jordan is the Bozeman Head Start Center Director but has also taken on making allergy-friendly treats for the team. She grew up watching football and her dad believed you had to know the game if you were going to watch it. Jordan pointed out that “it is a valuable asset” to be able to talk intelligently about football in a social setting or with other coaches. Being savvy about the game was a common theme each woman brought up. The other trait Jordan mentioned, as did every other wife, was independence.

Being a coach's wife means a lot of going with the "ow and I feel like I am still learning to do just that! In the four years Justin and I have been married, we’ve lived in !ve states—one for just four months—long enough for a single football season. In 2018 we moved three times! The initial announcement is always exciting—we’ve been hired: a new coaching position; a new school; a new town; a new house, a new staff. I now claim ‘expert packer’ status, since Justin usually has to leave within a week after being hired, leaving me to pack the house. Everything I buy for our house is from the viewpoint of “will that be easy to move?” Thanks to our amazing, supportive family, I have never been left alone to make the actual move and am very thankful for that. However, it is a little scary and stressful moving someplace you know little about, and where you don’t know anyone. But it doesn’t take long to start to feel at home in a new place (at least, that has been our experience so far). While a new move is always exciting, it also brings sadness to have to leave a school. My job has allowed me to work remotely through all our moves. I know that, for others, the added stress of !nding a new job in every new town can be an added challenge.

I have learned the true meaning of a “football family.” I have made many wonderful life-long friends

in fellow coaches' wives and families. With each new staff I have immediately felt welcome and have fallen right into sync. That couldn’t be more true than here at Montana State. Even with Covid-19 hitting right as we moved into town, I felt so at home and involved and I loved that. The togetherness and mutual support is so important and special. We really are in this together. We know what different times of the season bring. When time with our husbands is limited, we plan accordingly to help and be there for each other. Spring ball and season may be the busiest but it’s also my favorite! We get to see all the hard work put in during the other times of the year come to life.

I’ve never met a wife who isn’t just as passionate about football as the coach! It’s hard not to be when you witness everything that goes into making a great program. I’ve cheered in the stands, I’ve screamed, I’ve cried, I’ve spent many games with my jaw clenched the entire time. And I love it. I really didn’t understand what this life would bring when we jumped in but I can't imagine it any differently. Being a coach's wife can be challenging at times but, overall, I think it is truly a blessing to be a part of and to witness all the behind-the-scenes love, support, and passion that makes college football and Montana State so special.

Shannon Udy


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Coach Brian Armstrong’s wife Julie was born in Dupuyer, Montana. The family ranch dates back to 1882 and borders the Bob Marshall Wilderness Area. It is no wonder it bred into her an independent nature, capable of handling teaching math to Belgrade eighth-graders, raising Michael (16) and Alissa (13), and being on hand to share in the behind-the-scenes activities of the football program. In the fall, Julie’s weekends are busy, as she enjoys Michael and Alyssa’s sports activities; then, as a family, they rally to support their dad and the Montana State Football Family.

One of this year’s additions to the MSU football family is Shannon Udy, whose husband, Justin, is the Bobcats’ Offensive Coordinator. Shannon works from home as the Health Educator for Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s Health Board, a position she acquired at South Dakota and was able to continue when she and Justin did their stint at Texas Tech. Shannon will continue to work from home while she lends a hand to recruiting dinners and whatever else it takes to help the ‘Cats.

New also to the coaching staff is Jimmy Beal and his Billings-born wife, Cassie, who will offer long distance support as she, Jenasee (14) and Trey (5) cheer on the running backs from their home in Flagstaff, Arizona. Cassie and the kids plan to make it to several games, but will don blue and gold to cheer on the ‘Cats wherever they are. Cassie Face-timed Jimmy and coached him on recipes to make for players at South Dakota, so distance support is not an unknown for the Beals. She is not the only wife who has learned the art of offering support from a distance…

Shawna Potter spent the last season in Boise, Idaho, where she and her husband, tight ends coach Nate Potter, are from. While the couple met in high school, they went to separate colleges and dated long distance. Shawna went to the University of Puget Sound and played basketball, while Nate went to Boise State. Nate got drafted and went to play for the Arizona Cardinals. The couple lived apart until Shawna

could move there. Nate !nished playing and was ready to go into coaching. He went back to Boise to pursue his Masters and be a GA, but Shawna stayed behind in Phoenix until she could transfer her job to Boise. Being adaptable, independent, and learning to give and take is part of the coaching life, but Shawna says it is well worth it. This spring, Shawna !nished grad school and now has a Masters in Business Administration. Her

It takes a strong, con!dent and self-reliant woman to understand and embrace the coaching life. These amazing women understand the pressure and responsibility of coaching, and their commitment to football is truly equal to their husbands’. When things fall apart or games are lost, it’s often left up to us as coaches’ wives to hold things together. We are the ones who pick up the pieces and support our coach unconditionally when the rest of the world (at least the fan base) turns against them. These women understand the time commitment coaching requires. Our guys work 14-16 hours a day during the season with not a day off between August and December. Holidays, family celebrations and children’s events are not an option for coaches to attend. I’ve always said our time together is “quality, not quantity.” We make the most of our time as a family, and appreciate the sacri!ces we all make for this game our family loves.

As football wives, we are comfortable being independent. We run the house, care for the kids, and if something goes haywire at home, it’s up to us to !x it. I can proudly say I’m the handyman in our house—and all of the tools in the garage are mine. Jeff coaches football. I do everything else. : ) One of the things we enjoy the most about this football coaching life is the close relationship we have with one another. We truly are a football family. Our staff is very supportive of one another and has a lot of fun together. The coaches’ wives are absolutely amazing! These women enthusiastically pitch in with our recruiting weekends, staff dinners, hosting team meals, and baking homemade treats for our players. There’s something special about this staff—and it shows. These girls know the ups and downs, ins and outs of football. They sacri!ce, support and love this football life! All in all… they just get it.

Janet Choate

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hopes are to join Coach Potter in Bozeman for his second season, where she looks forward to entertaining and building new relationships within the Montana State Football family.

Jasmine Daly hails from Dallas, Texas and gravitates toward the players who are taken aback at the snow. She attended college at Ole Miss, where she was their lead sprinter. She understands and is protective of the student athletes. She has a physical therapy degree and works at the Cozy Nest. “Bobby is a quiet guy,” Jasmine says of Bobby Daly, Assistant Head Coach and linebacker coach, “I am the outgoing one.” She is the one who will say at functions, “Hi guys, Jasmine, nice to meet you—this is my husband.” She admits she takes over a room. She likes being Janet’s right hand, and takes on greeting duties at the Recruiting Dinners.

Brittany Risinger is the wife of

Kyle, Montana State’s Defensive Backs coach. She is a kindergarden teacher at Heck Quaw in Belgrade. This is her 5th year as part of the Choate team. Brittany loves the exciting journey of the coaching world, “the unknowns of where it will take you from year to year.” Another unknown is about to present, as the Risinger’s await the arrival of their !rst child in May. Brittany sees adding a child to the their busy life as a challenge, but because the football family at MSU is so good, she says, “with our staff you want to do it and you want to be around this program.”

Kerri Iaone agrees that the program and the football family is special. The Iaones did a stint in Seattle after having been a part of the MSU program. During that time she Facebooked and texted the Bobcat family to stay in touch and is glad to be back as her husband Kane coordinates the defense and works with the

safeties. Kerri grew up in Great Falls and attended Montana State to get her degree in Family Consumer Science. Kerri is the mother of Ava (2) and Kyson, who was born this past February.

Christina DeLeo and Coach Erik Frazier were hoping to "y to the East Coast and be married in May, but Covid-19 restrictions have postponed the wedding until May of 2021. Christina is a physician’s assistant at SCL Health Family Practice in Bozeman. Offering strong support is nothing new to Christina, who was on cheer squad and positioned on the bottom of the tier. Supporting Erik has led her to get licensed in a couple states and, like several of the other wives, left behind to do the moving while her husband moves on to the next coaching position.These women are the support behind the men with the headphones that stride up and down the sidelines on autumn


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Being a coach’s wife takes a special skill set: Being extremely independent and self suf!cient from August-December, during recruiting season, spring ball, and summer camps. (No, he doesn't have off after the regular football season); Being ready for major life changes and having some serious packing and moving skills; Being "exible for ever-changing schedules and plans; Support for your man, for the wins and loses, and the ups and downs. Support for the amazing coaches wives that surround you. Support for your players.

Our Bobcat family has created a culture shared between players, coaches, and coaches’ wives. Our culture is team, unit, me. Your team is the most important, followed by your unit, followed by yourself. You have to handle your day-to-day business to make your unit better to ensure your team’s success.

Each August Janet invites the wives over for our annual coaches’ wives meeting. We eat, drink wine, and talk football. We talk about how to support our coaches, each other, our players and their families, and our team as a whole. August is just the beginning. These ladies are my support system year round! We celebrate all the good things in and out of football—and we are there for each other even more during the dif!cult moments, days, or weeks. Did I mention we started a wine… I mean book club?

The most important thing I can do as a coach’s wife is to support my husband after long days

that turn into weeks; to listen; to pack his lunch; to take care of home base when he can’t be there, and to understand this life. Six days a week my husband is gone before I wake up and after I go to bed. I look forward to Thursday night date nights, the Friday hours, and what’s left of a Saturday after the game. We are grateful for the nights and moments, knowing they will pass too quickly. My husband always tells his players, “I spend more time with you in the fall than I do with Brittany. You are my family.” We want our players to feel loved, to feel like family. We have the boys in our position group over to our house for dinner. I love getting to know these boys and their families, and they appreciate a home-cooked meal away from campus!

In our second year as a staff, the wives started baking weekly for our position groups. Banana bread, brownies, cookies, or my latest attempt at a Pinterest recipe! In our third year, my husband preached about football being a production-based business. The guys should only earn treats for a win, and individuals could earn plates of treats for take-aways or a pick 6!Our players are like young boys away from home for the !rst time. Their families are at ease knowing that, along with our program and our husbands, we are also there to take care of and support our players. We make this clear to incoming recruits.

Each January, the Choates welcome over 50 players and their families and coaches into their home for recruiting

dinners. It is a unique, incredible experience. The Choates and our entire staff want our incoming families and recruits to immediately feel a part of our big family. We get to know families from around the country. We break bread with families different from our own, yet we share the unique bond of football and a common goal of winning national championships, creating a future for their boys, and showing their kids love.

Game day is our favorite, especially the four back-to-back wins against the Griz! Our morning starts with nervous, excited energy and an early ‘goodbye and good luck’ kiss. We bring our favorite tailgate cocktail and probably know more about the game plan than most. We cheer on our team as they march between the Fieldhouse and Bobcat Stadium. We anxiously take our seats in the stands for that very !rst kick off. We stand the entire game, we know the players by !rst name, we hug and high !ve each other uncontrollably, we’re there rain or shine, wind, snow, and in negative temperatures. It’s dif!cult hearing fans criticize or call out your husband on his calls, his position group, or speci!c players. This is the life we signed up for, but it doesn’t get easier. I have learned to have thick skin in the stands. Our coaches and players have given their everything for this team. These men have been grinding day in and out on and off the !eld. We are one thousand percent into it. We know ball, we support our players, we

Brittany Risinger

BOBCATS


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know our team’s end goal. Win or lose, we take the !eld and stand by our coaches, players, and their families.

Our Bobcat football family is something incredible. In the !ve years my husband and I have been at Montana State, we’ve met and had to say goodbye to amazing coaches and coaches’ wives. They are all part of our

story and have helped build the success of this program. The faces may change year to year, but our football family has only expanded. We share our life stories along with defeats and victories on and off the !eld. As August approaches each year I am excited and anxious, as is my husband. But this year feels different, knowing that some schools have already received

word they won't be having a season this fall. I am !lled with overwhelming anxiety and stress as we all search for answers. We are all begging for a sense of normality, for sports to continue, for our health and safety, and for a football season. Whatever happens, we will get through it together—the same way we show up for each other year round.

Saturdays. They cheer in the stadium with the rest of the fans, keenly watching their men and the young players into whom they have invested emotions and energy.

Politics are dependent on the votes of the populace and football is dependent on winning.

Eleanor Roosevelt realized that when she encouraged Franklin to run for president, her life had changed. These ten women understand that a successful program determines the neighborhood they will live in from fall to fall. They react with fortitude, as they scheme to get behind their coach husband and

do their part to prepare for a winning season. One hundred plus young men will have brown paper bags full of goodies, their birthdays remembered and “family style meals” as they attend Montana State University to earn a degree and learn that one of life’s greatest strengths is strength of team.


strong women stand beside msu coaches...strong individuals. look behind the leader, where a...

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