LeaderboardHot Seat RadarBuyout SimulatorHow Buyouts WorkFOIA Tipline
Back to All Coaches
NE
Group of 5🛡️ Vulnerable Stability (2/5)

Jeff Choate

Head Football Coach Nevada (Wolf Pack)

Current Buyout Owed (Today)
$2,700,000
27 months remaining (837 days)
Annual Salary
$1,100,000
Base + Supplemental Talent
Contract Expires
2028-12-31
Hired: 2023-12-06
Coach Leaves Buyout
$1,000,000
Owed if leaving for NFL / Rival
Daily Amortization
$2,560
Buyout drops each day
University Firing Coach (Without Cause)

School Owes Coach: $2,700,000

Contract buyout as tracked by USA Today Sports: $2,700,000.

Payment Structure:Annual Installments
Duty to Mitigate (Offsets):No (Guaranteed regardless of new job)
Total Remaining Unearned Salary:$2,520,739
Coach Departs Voluntarily (Poaching Clause)

Coach / Hiring School Owes: $1,000,000

If Jeff Choate accepts a position as head coach with another collegiate program or an NFL franchise prior to 2028-12-31, he or his new employer is legally bound to pay this liquidated departure penalty.

Departure Fee:$1,000,000
School Retention Leverage:Standard College Buyout
Coaching Stance & Contractual Security

Job Stability vs. The Hot Seat

How Our Two-Axis Model Works
0/5 Votes

Pending Fan Consensus

Tension Rating: Stability (2/5) • Hot Seat (Pending)

Contract Job Stability is rated Vulnerable Stability. Awaiting 5 more community vote(s) to officially establish the Hot Seat alignment.

Contract Job Stability
Level 2 / 5
Vulnerable Stability
Accessible Buyout Hurdle$2,700,000 Buyout Firewall

Modest buyout relative to athletic revenues; university holds substantial financial leverage.

Contract Safeguard: Contract buyout as tracked by USA Today Sports: $2,700,000.
Mitigation Duty: None (fully guaranteed sum)
The Hot Seat (Community Consensus)
Consensus Building
Consensus Building0 / 5 Votes

Hot Seat score requires at least 5 votes to show, only 0 votes cast so far.

5 more votes needed to unlock public heat score. Cast your vote below!

Interactive Amortization Simulator for Jeff Choate

Interactive Financial Modeler

Simulate Termination Date & Buyout Cost

See how contract amortization, date milestones, and mitigation clauses reduce buyout liability over time.

NE
NevadaGroup of 5 • Contract thru 2028-12-31
Annual Salary
$1,100,000
Current Buyout (Today)
$2,700,000
Selected Date: 2026-09-16 (837 days remaining on contract)
Or pick any exact date:
Buyout Owed on 2026-09-16
$2,700,000
Official USA Today Verified Buyout
Savings by Delaying to This Date
$0
Natural amortization saves $2,560 / day
If Coach Leaves Voluntarily
$1,000,000
Amount coach / hiring team owes Nevada

Duty to Mitigate (New Job Offset Analysis)

No Mitigation Required (Full Guarantee)
Important: Jeff Choate's contract does not mandate an affirmative duty to mitigate. Even if he takes another job paying millions tomorrow, Nevada is legally obligated to continue paying the full buyout amount with zero offset!

Contract Calculation Formula:

USA Today FOIA benchmark: $2,700,000. Data aligned with October 2025 authoritative baseline.

💡 By waiting 6 months, natural salary amortization reduces buyout liability by ~$468K.

Key Contractual Stipulations
  • Multi-year term through December 2028
  • Fixed annual salary structure
  • Significant buyout provision for departure
  • Performance-based bonus eligibility

Data aligned with October 2025 authoritative baseline.

Source & Public Records Citations

Verified Public & News Reference Sources (1):

Nevada Head Coach Contract TermsNevada Athletics Official Records • 2026-09-13
View Source

FOIA Verified: As an arm of state government, Nevada releases employment agreements and board-approved amendments under public records legislation.