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Former Bulldog star Knowles
named Sandpoint High
football coach
SANDPOINT — One of the best football players to ever come out of Sandpoint is returning to coach his hometown team, as the Bulldogs named Ryan Knowles head football coach, replacing George Yarno.
Knowles, 39, graduated from Sandpoint High in 1996 before starting for four seasons as a defensive end at the University of Idaho. Most recently, Knowles has been an assistant coach at Colgate University in Hamilton, N.Y., where he’s been the defensive line coach for the past 12 years and the special teams coordinator for the past four.
Sandpoint will be his first head coaching job, and Knowles is thrilled to be doing it in the town where he was born and raised.
“It’s everything. I grew up at Barlow Stadium and War Memorial Field, I kind of lived in that locker room with my dad,” remembers Knowles. “It was a way of life.”
Leaving Colgate wasn’t easy, as Knowles led a defensive line unit that ranked second in FCS in sacks last year, and in 2016 led the nation allowing just 69.4 yards per game. Colgate won four Patriot League championships in his time there.
Knowles’ dad, John, was a longtime assistant coach at Sandpoint, and was an assistant under Satini Puailoa when the Bulldogs won the program’s lone state title in 1997. John Knowles graduated from Sandpoint in 1966 and played football at Idaho as well.
“My dad’s No. 1, he’s the reason I coach,” claimed Ryan of John. “His love of the game of football is what set the table for me.”
Ryan Knowles played on Idaho’s Humanitarian Bowl-winning team in 1998.
From there he became a graduate assistant at Idaho, followed by stints as an assistant at Kentlake High in Kent, Wash., Kentridge High in Kent and Central Valley High in Spokane Valley, before deciding to take the job at Colgate.
Sandpoint High athletic director Kris Knowles — no relation — said Ryan was picked from a strong candidate pool of 15 coaches, including five that were interviewed from Oregon, Texas, Florida, Colorado and New York, and one that was a former graduate assistant under Bobby Bowden at Florida State.
“I think we hit a home run here,” Kris Knowles said. “Ryan was by far the best candidate, it wasn’t even close. He’ll be a phenomenal coach for us. He understands Sandpoint. He was literally on the ground floor of the weight room (Project 92), sweeping up nails when it was built.”
NIC announces 2018
Athletics Hall of Fame inductees
COEUR d’ALENE — The North Idaho College athletic department will honor three wrestling national championship teams as part of the eighth Athletics Hall of Fame class, to be held in conjunction with the annual Athletics Awards Banquet.
The festivities will be held in the NIC Edminster Student Union Building on Saturday, May 5.
The 2018 Hall of Fame Class of inductees include outstanding wrestling teams from the 1970s, including three NJCAA wrestling national championship teams from 1974, 1975 and 1978.
The banquet begins with a social at 5 p.m., dinner at 5:30 p.m., and the awards ceremony at 6 p.m. Tickets for the induction ceremony and athletics awards dinner are available for $30 and can be purchased at the NIC Athletics Department Office in Post Hall. Those interested in attending are asked to pre-purchase or reserve a ticket.
NIC Hall of Fame inductees Les Hogan (1974 and 1975) and John Owen (1978) were the head coaches of the NIC national championship teams. The event will also serve as a reunion of members of the NIC wrestling program from the start of the program in 1972 through 1979. The NIC Athletic Awards Banquet will also recognize the athletic and academic award winners from the 2017-18 NIC intercollegiate programs, and honor Booster Club Members of the Year recipients.
Information: NIC Athletics Department, (208) 769-3348; nic.edu/athletics
Former Idaho soccer coach
named assistant at EWU
CHENEY — Eastern Washington head women’s soccer coach Chad Bodnar has announced the addition of associate head coach Peter Showler.
From 2005 to 2014, Showler served as the head coach of the Idaho Vandals women’s soccer team, formerly in the WAC. He led the Vandals to three WAC Tournament quarterfinals in four years, including the semifinals in 2012. He became the winningest coach in program history, leading the Vandals to their best record of 14-7 in 2010.
Prior to his stint at Idaho, Showler was the assistant coach at Portland State from 2003 to 2005 where he helped the Vikings reach the semifinals of the Big Sky Tournament after tying for first during the regular season.
EWU completes football schedule, adding
Central Washington in opener
CHENEY — Eastern Washington found its 11th and final opponent for its 2018 football schedule, lining up a game with Division II Central Washington for the Eagles’ season opener on Sept. 1.
EWU and CWU were once NAIA rivals in the Evergreen Conference. The Eagles and Wildcats have not played each other since 2010, and have met just seven times since EWU moved to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (then I-AA) in 1984.
Central’s current quarterback is former Eagle Reilly Hennessey, who directed CWU to an 11-1 record and an 8-0 mark in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in 2017. He completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,551 yards and 28 touchdowns as CWU lost its lone game in the first round of the NCAA Division II Playoffs.
EWU FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
All times TBA except for CWU game
Sept. 1 — vs. Central Washington, 1:05 p.m.
Sept. 8 — at Northern Arizona
Sept. 15 — at Washington State
Sept. 22 — vs. Cal Poly
Sept. 29 — at Montana State
Oct. 6 — vs. Southern Utah
Oct. 13 — at Weber State
Oct. 20 — Open
Oct. 27 — vs. Idaho
Nov. 3 — at Northern Colorado
Nov. 10 — vs. UC Davis
Nov. 17 — at Portland State