FALL and RISE

By BRIAN WALKER

Staff Writer

COEUR d'ALENE — The North Idaho College men's basketball team has added a life-threatening scenario to its bond-building playbook.

Today marks the one-year anniversary of assistant coaches George Swanson and Chris Kemp being clobbered by a vehicle along Interstate 90 west of Spokane as they waited outside their disabled vehicle for a tow truck driver to move it.

Both are coaching their respective programs — Swanson still at NIC and Kemp now at Eastern Oregon University — and making gradual strides in recovery with new outlooks on life.

"It's opened my eyes to a lot of things in life," Swanson said. "It shows you how much you're appreciated and what opportunities you have."

Kemp said he's fortunate to be alive.

"It made me thankful for what I have and it gives you a new view on life," he said. "God protected us through it all."

Corey Symons, NIC's head coach, was standing next to the two but sustained only minor injuries. He said the coaches often talk about how lucky they are.

"They got hit by a vehicle going 70 mph," Symons said. "Whether you believe in a higher power or not, someone was looking out for us. The toughest moment in my life came at 5 a.m. when I had to call their wives to tell them to get to the hospital as soon as they can because their husbands may not make it. We initially thought both were dead."

Others with the group were assistant coach Ameer Shamsuddin and NIC announcer Dick Haugen.

The impact sent Swanson airborne, 50 to 60 feet down the road.

"We couldn't find George at first," Symons said.

Both coaches were left unconscious, face down in the dirt. They suffered multiple life-threatening injuries. Neither remembers getting hit.

Matthew H. Seay, then 24, of Deer Park, Wash., was cited for second-degree negligent driving. He was not charged criminally or arrested.

According to Washington State Patrol reports, the tow truck had its emergency lights and flashers on. Seay tried to avoid hitting the truck before swerving into the men. After cooperating with officers and showing no signs of impairment, he drove from the scene.

Symons said Seay has not reached out to the coaches.

"To each his own," Symons said. “I’ve never been in that situation. We were a little surprised that no one reached out to us, but it's got to be tough on him. I know he went through some mental stress."

Rather, the coaches' focus has been on the future.

Swanson, 47, said some curious people want to see photos related to the incident, but he has no interest.

"I don't look backward; it's all about going forward," he said.

Swanson was in the hospital for 16 days and spent six weeks at a rehabilitation center. He was in a wheelchair for four weeks. Kemp was in the hospital for five days before starting physical therapy and being on crutches.

Determined to return to the bench for the season, neither coach missed a game.

"I was told that George would not walk for nine months," Symons said.

The Cardinals finished 25-5. They were the East Region champion of the Northwest Athletic Conference before losing their first game in the postseason tournament.

The coaches' fight became an inspiration that the team rallied behind and brought the Cardinals closer, Symons said.

"The hashtag Gstrong (after "Coach G") became our team motto and we rode with that," he said. "It also brought the whole staff closer."

Kemp, 31, said it was his “crash course” into college coaching. He'd only been at NIC for a month.

"I didn't plan to get hit by a vehicle to get ingrained into the team family, but it worked," Kemp said with a laugh. "It brought the whole team together and we had a different view on the season. We'll all remember it being something we went through."

Kemp said he's now close to being able to run.

"The jury is still out with my neck," he said. “I’ll also have some limitations due to the massive knee injury. I'll never be quite the same, but I hope to be almost fully recovered."

Swanson said he also has limitations with movement, but is making steady strides.

Symons said the staff is still feeling the community's support a year after the ordeal.

"The community has been a huge part of our recovery and the speediness of it," he said. "We've had people we don't know support us through a tough time."