Choate Announces Additional Changes to Staff
By Danny Waldo
The coaching dominoes have begun to fall, and the Montana State staff has not been immune to the changes that are customary for this time of year.
The Bobcats have already lost secondary coach Gerald Alexander to the University of California to serve in the same capacity. Offensive coordinator, Courtney Messingham, is the latest member of Choate’s staff to accept a new position, opting to move on to North Dakota State University to serve as Chris Klieman’s offensive coordinator. Messingham and Klieman have a long relationship that dates back to their days playing together at Northern Iowa from 1986-89. The two also coached together at Missouri State.
Choate looked in-house to fill the offensive coordinator position, promoting offensive line coach Brian Armstrong to Messingham’s old post. Prior to coming to MSU, Armstrong was the head coach and offensive coordinator at NAIA member Rocky Mountain College in Billings. While at RMC, Armstrong directed some of the most prolific offensives in the NAIA.
The promotion of Armstrong from his offensive line coaching duties left a new void to fill, and Choate turned to another familiar face to fit that need, hiring Joshua Taufalele, a former graduate assistant at the University of Washington during Choate’s time in Seattle. “Joshua was our offensive line graduate assistant at Washington in 2014 and 2015,” Choate said, “and it was clear to me from day one that he was already ready to go. Even as a graduate assistant he was one of our most effective recruiters, he helped us on a number of guys because he has strong ties in northern California and in the Polynesian community.”
Taufalele most recently served as the offensive coordinator and offensive line coach at Foothill College in California. Taufalele played two years for the Owls at Foothill College in 2006-07 before transferring to the University of New Mexico and finishing his career with the Lobos, earning Academic All-Mountain West honors twice.
Taufalele and Armstrong will begin their new duties at MSU immediately.
Danny Waldo is a local freelance writer covering Bozeman Hawk and Montana State Bobcat athletics.
