The Front Row with JASON ELLIOTT April 6, 2013

Rolly Williams Court, as North Idaho College fans know it, is no more.

Thanks to some funding from the Coeur d'Alene department of public works, the next time anyone steps into the gym at NIC, it will be onto a brand new gym floor.

THE FLOOR, which was dedicated to longtime coach Rolly Williams on Oct. 27, 2007, is being replaced.

It is the original floor that's been in the campus gym, Christianson Gymnasium, since it was built in 1943.

Plans were to have the work done last year as the school celebrated the 10th anniversary of the North vs. South high school all-star basketball games, as well as hosted the Region 18 men's and women's basketball tournaments.

"It's 70 years old and it needed to be done," NIC athletic director Al Williams said. "We finally got some funding, but just couldn't get it scheduled in time for this year."

Work began on the floor on March 25, just days after hosting the state gymnastics competition.

"We've blocked off all the seating so they can start taking all the wood out," Williams said. "We saved some for memorial keepsakes."

Crews will also replace the lower level bleachers, which Williams also believes are from the gym's opening.

Walking into the gym for the first time in 1978, Williams liked how comfortable it made him as a new player to NIC.

"I saw the historic feel of it right away," Williams said. "It was like a throwback to the days of the Hoosier-style gyms from in the midwest, with the pillars in the gym. I felt it fit perfectly into a setting for high school and junior college basketball. There's a lot of memories on that floor."

For the record, Williams' team went 26-6 in 1979 before he moved on to the University of Idaho to resume his playing career.

SINCE THEN, Williams has seen countless games on the floor, wins, losses and even a few national championship teams — three since becoming athletic director in 2003.

Two memories that come to mind include Melvin Jones’ 75-foot 3-pointer to beat Southern Idaho 69-66 in 2009, as well as the NIC women rallying from 18 points down with 11:11 remaining to advance to the NJCAA tournament for the first time under current coach Chris Carlson.

“With Melvin’s shot, he had to maneuver over the large overhanging scoreboard,” Williams said. “It made it more special because we beat CSI.”

The scoreboard was removed in November of 2011.

Williams said the NIC women’s team’s comeback win in the Region 18 championship game — also against CSI — was equally emotional.

“I remember Natalie Nichols got a steal and got the rally started,” Williams said. “The crowd just erupted after the game. It almost brought tears to my eyes.”

WITH THE idea of an arena still on the mind of Williams, he’s hoping this is just the start of a bigger project at the school.

Early ideas are for a projected 5,000-seat facility for basketball, volleyball and wrestling.

“In the larger scheme, we’ll use it (Christianson Gym) as a recreational center for the campus,” Williams said. “We’ll always have it for a practice facility and use for the staff.”

In addition, they will remove the first row of bleachers to allow for the sidelines to be expanded, allowing fans to walk behind the teams and scorer’s table during games.

“We’ll have some cushioned chairs for individual seating now for the players and coaches,” Williams said. “We’re also going to take a row off the other side to make it more wheelchair accessible. It’s going to be a modernized look to the floor and going to be a little brighter. The whole gym is going to have a nice new feel. It’s amazing the old floor has stood up as long as it has.”

The renovation is expected to be finished by May 4, the date of the school’s athletic awards and Hall of Fame Induction ceremony.

That event will be held in the school’s Student Union Building.

Graduation on May 17 will be at Christianson Gym.

“We have to get it done by then,” Williams said. “It should look really good when they’re done.”

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for the Coeur d’Alene Press. He can be reached by telephone at 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at [email protected].