THE FRONT ROW WITH JASON ELLIOTT: A good run for Jeff and Jeff and Jeff in Kellogg
Courtesy photo Former Kellogg boys basketball coach Jeff Nearing, left, Jeff Lambert, middle, and Jeff Colburn, right, have had the Wildcat program at state in the previous seven seasons, finishing third in 2017. Both Nearing and Colburn stepped down following the 2019-20 season.
Some programs, whether it be basketball or football, rely on those unsung guys when it comes to coaches.
Sometimes, they’re not the most vocal person on the bench — or at least to the trained eye — nor do they have a lot to say when crunch time appears.
WHEN THINKING back through the years of watching high school basketball in this area, it’s hard to imagine a time when Kellogg, which has dominated the 3A Intermountain League for years, struggled to make it to the state tournament.
Well, it used to happen a little more than it does these days.
Yes, Kellogg has won quite a few state titles in boys basketball — winning the Class A title in 1955, 1956, 1959 and the 5A title in 1964. The Wildcats were also third in A-2 in 1996.
For a few years in the past decade, Kellogg found itself finishing behind Lakeland — before the Hawks' jump to 4A in 2004 — or falling short to teams from either Priest River, Bonners Ferry or St. Maries before St. Maries dropped to the 2A Central Idaho League in 2012.
Don’t forget, Priest River won a state 3A championship in 2010 with a group of players that could have contended with the likes of a few of the bigger schools in the area.
Kellogg eventually broke through, advancing to state in 2005 and winning the consolation championship by beating Fruitland 52-49 at Meridian High. That team was coached by Jeremy Bergquist, who now is the assistant principal at Ridgevue High in Nampa.
IN RECENT years, those coaches driving the team toward the state tournament were head coaches Jeff Lambert and Jeff Nearing, and longtime assistant Jeff Colburn, who guided the Wildcats to seven straight state appearances.
Lambert, who coached the Wildcat girls team to the state 3A championship in 2010, took over the boys program in 2012 and once he stepped down in 2016, up stepped Nearing and Colburn, who were assistants under Lambert.
Lambert then stuck around the program for another couple of years as an assistant coach.
In 2017, Kellogg was third at state and also brought home the consolation title in 2015 during the run of Jeffs.
Nearing was always one to credit the kids, his assistants or anyone else but himself for the results.
Both Nearing and Colburn stepped away from the program at the end of the 2020 season, with their kids now gone from the program.
SURE, both will be tough to replace — and Kellogg, with preseason practice just over a month away from starting, is still looking to hire a head boys basketball coach. Any coach that has left a program after a good run usually is.
Kellogg can find guys to call timeouts, run plays and make the players run during practice.
But as far as getting the most out of what they have, both Nearing and Colburn did just that. As did Lambert before that.
Replacing them will be a challenge for sure.
And no, if you're up for it, your first name doesn't even have to be Jeff.
Jason Elliott is a sports writer for The Press. He can be reached by telephone at (208) 664-8176, Ext. 2020 or via email at jelliott@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter @JECdAPress.