Kane Ioane has himself a brand new office. The dyed in the wool Bobcat could not be more happy that it’s still in Brick Breeden Fieldhouse.
Ioane has spent the nearly half his life in Bozeman. The only four-time All-America in program history starred for the Bobcats from 2000 until a senior season in 2003 that saw Ioane capture the Big Sky Conference Defensive MVP award and finish as the league’s all-time leading tackler.
By the 2005 season, he was a graduate assistant. By 2006, he was on Mike Kramer’s staff. When Kramer was fired in 2007 and Rob Ash took over, Ioane was retained. By 2009, he was Montana State’s full-time linebackers coach. In 2015, the 34-year-old served his first season as Montana State defensive coordinator.
Montana State stumbled to its first losing season since Ioane was a sophomore back in 2001. MSU finished 5-6 thanks in large part to the struggles of Ioane’s defense. Ash and the majority of his staff were fired on November 23.
Ioane was in limbo for 15 days before learning that new MSU head coach Jeff Choate would retain Ioane as the assistant head coach and the linebackers coach. Ty Gregorak, who spent 12 of the last 13 years as an assistant coach and the last four as the defensive coordinator for the Montana Grizzlies, assumes Ioane’s defensive coordinator position at MSU.
Last season, Montana State’s defense — a unit featuring nine new starters, including freshmen nose tackle Tucker Yates, middle linebacker Grant Collins and cornerback Tre’Von Strong — gave up 34.2 points and 472.5 yards per game. MSU gave up 247.5 yards per game on the ground, including 891 rushing yards in back-to-back Big Sky losses to Portland State and North Dakota. The Bobcats did make strides late, putting forth respectable performances against Southern Utah and Idaho State before getting torched for 54 points and 537 yards of offense in a loss to rival Montana that sealed Ash’s fate.
During his coaching career, Ioane has helped mentor Bobby Daly (2007, 2008) and Jody Owens (2011, 2012) into two-time All-America selections and Owens earned Big Sky Defensive MVP honors his senior season. Clay Bignell (second team 2009, 2011), Na’a Moeakiola (2012, honorable mention), Alex Singleton (first team, 2014), Cole Moore (third-team, 2014) and Mac Bignell (honorable mention, 2015) each earned All-Big Sky Conference honors under Ioane.
Ioane’s group loses senior Robert Walsh but returns senior Fletcher Collins, juniors Blake Braun and Mac Bignell and sophomore Grant Collins, all four who started for MSU in 2015. The group also includes seniors Wyatt Christensen and Joey Michael, junior Marcus Tappan, sophomores Koni Dole and Blake Sylvester, along with redshirt freshmen Sam Plucker, Walker Cozzie, B.J. Ojo, Josh Hill and Ty Robbie.
During the first week of January, Montana State has hosted press conferences with each of Choate’s nine new assistant coaches. On Wednesday, Ioane and new MSU offensive coordinator Courtney Messingham sat down with Skyline Sports and media from around Montana.
Ted Dawson, KBZK: Kane, how have things changed for you?
Ioane: “To be honest, not a whole lot. I’m still here, which is great. I switched offices, which is just for my own head, I need a change of scenery type deal and a change of perspective I guess you can say. I also switched sides of our staff table so again, a different perspective on life a little bit. Other than that, really, there’s not a whole that has changed.”
Dawson: What does assistant head coach mean?
Ioane: “I think it means exactly what the title is where I am in charge of everything that Coach Choate doesn’t want to do (laughs). No, it gives me kind of a chance to look at everything from a view point of the entire program as opposed to for a long time, it was just defense, defense, defense. Now I get an opportunity to really work with the whole program and change my perspective in that way as well. I’m excited about that new role as far as learning how to taking another step toward being a head coach some day. This is another step in that direction.”
Russ Reed, NBC Montana: What’s it like having (former Montana defensive coordinator and new MSU defensive coordinator) Ty Gregorak on the staff now?
Ioane: “It’s going to be fun. I can tell you that much. Ty and I have known each other for a long time obviously in a competitive role on the field. Off the field, we have always gotten along really well and respected each other because we view the game of football the same exact way. Not the same exact way obviously but very similar philosophies on how the game of football should be played and how you should run a defense. I’m excited about the opportunity to work with Ty and I know we are going to have a great time together. I know it will be fun.”
Reed: With your experience running a defense, what can you take from this past season, all your experiences, what can you take out from that in this season going forward with your new position?
Ioane: “And that’s the beauty of this profession is you get a chance to learn a lot every single season. Last season was a big learning experience for me in regard of a new role, help coordinate a defense, play calling on Saturdays so I learned a lot from last year. I learned some things I want to continue to do. I learned some things that I obviously need to get better at as a coach. I learned how to, what it is to be in that coordinator role. There is a lot of things I can take from last season, both positive and negative. That’s what you have to do as a coach if you want to try to get better. We want to get our players better by having them learn from the mistakes they make or any of the positive things they do. You want them to build on those, build on the positives, learn from the negatives every year but even more every day.”
Rob Jesselson, ABC/Fox: How does this coaching staff differ from the different staffs you’ve been on or played under?
Ioane: “It’s tough to say at this point just because we are brand new. This is really the first week that we’ve been together as a whole staff and we aren’t entirely whole yet. But just from being around these guys, I’m excited about the chemistry that we are going to have together and the working relationship. I think that will be huge. Any football team is really going to represent that coaching staff to a certain extent. If your coaching staff has a great chemistry together, I think in turn you are going to find that within your team as well.”
Parker Gabriel, Bozeman Daily Chronicle: It’s always a hectic time of year just in terms of recruiting. What’s it been like as a staff? Obviously, you were in touch with guys while the staff was coming together. What’s it been like selling guys on a staff and a program that is not quite complete?
Ioane: “It has been different in the fact that most Decembers, or a lot of December and a lot of January, I’m usually on the road in California. I have not yet been out of the state of Montana minus for some holiday stuff. So that part has been a little bit different. I don’t like how much cold weather I’ve had to deal with to be honest with you.
“The recruiting aspect this year for our recruiting class, just the process in itself is going to be a little bit of an anomaly because it’s such a different situation. But we are going to adapt and adjust and get a recruiting class in here that we feel is going to be quality. It may not be quantity. But it will be quality. It will be a fun, hectic process to get to that signing day.”
Greg Rachac, Billings Gazette: Are you looking forward to not having as big of a defensive role as far as maybe play calling and things like that? Can you talk about taking on that role last year, how it went and now maybe taking a step away from that role?
Ioane: “I’ll miss play-calling. That part of it is fun. Game days are always fun. There are certain aspects of the coordinator position that you won’t miss, scripting practice every day is a pain but it’s a necessary pain. But I won’t miss that part of it. I will still very much be involved in everything that goes on with what we do defensively. There’s really not a whole lot of difference accept for the fact that when it’s all said and done, Ty is the guy as far as the final say and decision. But I know we will work really well together and I’m looking forward to that aspect of pressuring him to bring a little more heat and pressure and he calls it and he has to answer for it (laughs). No, it’s a step back per-se in the role of not play calling on Saturdays but my role of helping game plan, strategy, all that stuff, to me, I’m not going to step back at all in that regard. Practice planning, all that stuff, I want to be just as involved in that as I have been.”
Rachac: Can you talk about Ty? Just how difficult was it for him coming here? You’ve been here for such a long time. Could you ever envision yourself making the same type of move?
Ioane: “My situation is a little bit different because this is my alma mater, this is where I played. But it’s very similar in the fact that Ty and I have been at the same school for a long time as far as a coaching aspect. I couldn’t imagine going to the University of Montana just because I played here and that’s my alma mater and that’s a rival. That would be a tough move. But at the same time, professionally, you still have to always do what is best for you at that time and at that time, if that was the best move for me professionally, I would have to do it. When I come to the point where I have a family and that’s what I’m looking out for as well and I have to look out for them and that’s the best move for me professionally, I would have to do it and I wouldn’t hesitate one bit to do it. It would be awkward initially just putting the maroon and silver on as I’m sure it was for Ty. But I’ll tell you this right now: he’s going to be all in and he already is all in. I know I would be doing the same thing. You are who you are no matter where you are at.”
Dawson: With all the young linebackers you have, what do you expect from them?
Ioane: “A lot of growth. A lot of growth. You saw that from this previous season. As the year progressed and they started to gain more and more confidence in what they were doing, I just want to continue to build on that for them. You can sense that and after the season was over and done with and our exit interviews that we do with these guys every year, you could just hear it in their voices how anxious they are to get back to work and get going again because they know they have the talent and the ability. They see it in themselves. I see that and I’m looking forward to working with them and building on both parties.”
Skyline Sports: What do you think will be the biggest changes under Coach Choate in the program in general?
Ioane: “I think Coach Choate is going to bring a lot of energy, enthusiasm, excitement. He’s going to really build relationships with these guys and the guys are going to feel that. He’s going to be, coming from an assistant coach position for as long as Coach Choate has been doing it and having the opportunity to be a coordinator in a lot of different ways, defensive coordinator, special teams coordinator, he’s got a lot of experience. I know he’s going to want to still touch as many players as possible on the coaching side of things and I think the players are really going to see that and feel that and in turn, all of us as coaches are going to learn a lot from him in that regard as well. I don’t know if that’s really how…I think that’s the best way to describe what Coach Choate is going to bring as opposed to differences if that answers what you are looking for.”
Skyline Sports: We talked so much last year about the defense. Now you are going to be in more of an overseer role for the whole program. How would you evaluate the state of the program right now and what is the things that need to change the most going forward?
Ioane: “I think right now, obviously 5-6 is not where Montana State should be or will be. Montana State should be in the upper echelon in the FCS year in and year out, should be competing in the playoffs but not only in the playoffs and being happy to be in the playoffs but making a run at the national championship. We have the support that a lot of schools don’t have. We have the stadium that a lot of schools don’t have and would kill for. We should be in the talk for a national championship a lot of those years and that should be our highest standards, championship standards and expectations every single year. I think we have to strive for that within our players. We have to create championship habits within our players and championship attitudes within our players and it starts with us as coaches. I think we have a staff in place here that is going to do that and have that championship attitude and mentality and in turn the players are going to feel that and that is what we are going to see from our guys as far as their performance on and off the field.”
Rachac: You didn’t know if you were going to stay or go with the regime change. How happy are you to still be here?
Ioane: “You can’t…that uncertainty and where you see your colleagues and you see other colleagues in this profession, it’s a tough profession and no matter where you land or end up, you have to be very grateful and feel blessed that I have a job in a very competitive profession. I’m doing what I love. I’m able to be a positive role model and influence on kids at a very influential age. I’m blessed to be able to do that and do what I love. In turn, to be able to do it at my alma mater and the place I played, you couldn’t ask for anything better. You really couldn’t. So for me to get that opportunity again, it’s awesome. To survive a couple of change overs and still be here, I feel very blessed and thankful.”
Skyline: What sort of influence do you think last year will have on you personally and the rest of the team?
Ioane: “I think it will be a driving factor for myself and the fact that I know we can and will be better. It has to be…it can’t just be because we want to be better. It can’t just be because we want to be better than 5-6, we want to win the Big Sky. You have to go out and get it, you have to go out and earn it. I think the players sense that and will sense that because everyone in this program is going to have that urgency.”
Skyline: Have you guys talked scheme much?
Ioane: “We have not had that opportunity to really dive in to it overall. We’ve talked about overall philosophy for what team we want to be, what our identity wants to be both offensively and defensively. But we have not dived into the finer details of schematics yet. Again, Ty and I are very similar in our philosophies. I’ve watched Ty’s defenses and he’s had great success. I’m excited to get to work with what he is going to bring to the table along with the combination of what Coach Choate has done in his time as a defensive coach coaching a lot of different positions at a lot of different schools. He’s seen a lot of football. I know he is going to bring a lot to the table in that regard as well. It’s going to be a great blend of ideas and philosophies.”
Skyline: All the new coaches are going to lean on you most likely to tell them about their new guys. How do you balance that with these next few weeks of intensive recruiting?
Ioane: “That’s a great question and the last couple of days, we have really tried to hunker down and knock out the first and foremost what we have to get done here with our players here and now before we go out and try to sign anybody as far as a recruiting class is concerned. That’s our No. 1 priority. We went through our roster very in depth the last however many days so everybody on our staff has an idea of who we have right here on campus. That’s the most important people is who we have right here on campus.”
Skyline: Heard Mac Bignell has been awarded a full ride scholarship. Can you confirm?
Ioane: “I’m not sure I can comment on that. I will leave that one alone. I will say this: Mac Bignell deserves a full scholarship and he will earn one whenever that day may come if it hasn’t already.”
