Frohlich steps down as NIC volleyball coach

COEUR d’ALENE — In her first year as volleyball coach at North Idaho College, Colleen Frohlich led the Cardinals on a run like they never experienced before.

Unfortunately, the running off the court has forced her to leave the program.

Frohlich resigned in mid-December, citing family reasons as her husband has accepted a new position that will require him to travel extensively.

“It was a very hard decision to make,” Frohlich said Wednesday, shortly after the announcement by NIC. “My family and I enjoyed our time at NIC, but it just wasn’t going to work with my family and husband’s job.”

Her husband, Mark, recently accepted a long-term job doing contracting out of state.

“He’ll be back and forth out of state,” Frohlich said. “With his traveling, it wouldn’t work for me.”

The couple has three younger children, ranging from ages 13 to 7.

“I knew what the demands were coaching at the collegiate level,” Frohlich said. “But with the young children, it was too difficult.”

Frohlich was named the 2010 Region 18 Coach of the Year after leading the Cardinals to the Scenic West Athletic Conference regular season title and Region 18 tournament championship. The Cardinals were ranked nationally the entire season and finished fifth in the nation after winning three of four games at the NJCAA championships in West Plains, Mo.

NIC ended the year by defeating top-ranked Miami-Dade Community College in straight sets to cap a 29-7 season.

Frohlich will continue to coach club volleyball in the area, but doesn’t rule out a return to coaching at some point.

“I loved the level of collegiate coaching,” Frohlich said. “I really looked at this as my last shot. But I want to see my kids through the club level and see where it goes. It was a hard decision to make. The support of the community was touching and we’re hoping to remain in the area.”

Frohlich replaced Chris Kosty, who resigned in March 2010 for an assistant coaching position at Indiana University.

“It’s unfortunate we will be losing Colleen after such a short period, but we understand her family commitment,” NIC athletic director Al Williams said in a press release. “She had an outstanding brief career, culminated with the second highest finish ever for the volleyball program at the NJCAA tournament. It will be difficult to replace her enthusiasm, wit and knowledge of the game. Besides, she quickly blended with the staff, conference and the community.

Williams added that the school will begin an immediate search for a replacement and assistant coach Kristin Ponce will serve as the interim coach during the search process.

“The program needs someone that can dedicate 110 percent of their time,” Frohlich said. “And I’ve got a little bit more on my plate than that. Someone needs to be able to get in here and give it what they have — and I wasn’t able to do that at this time.”

Prior to her career at NIC, Frohlich was the interim head coach at the University of Montana, where she also competed on a full athletic volleyball scholarship as a student. She was a starter on the 1990 team that went 26-4 and undefeated in Big Sky Conference play her junior year.

She was named to the All-Big Sky Conference first team as a senior and was a two-time Big Sky Player of the Week, as well as a member of the all-tournament team. She played for four Montana teams that went a combined 87-31 and was a member of the first two NCAA tournament teams for the school in 1990 and 1991.

Frohlich took a break from coaching at the University of Montana to raise her three children before coming to NIC. She also served as the varsity volleyball coach at Loyola Sacred Heart High in Missoula and was instrumental in the formation of the Missoula Volleyball Association, a local volleyball club.