Idaho Starts Benchmark Season Davis Tries To Match Previous Success As Vandals Move Into Era Of Change

Kermit Davis sits at the same desk in the same corner office.

Davis, back in the pilot’s seat after serving as University of Idaho’s men’s basketball coach from 1988-90, had one more request to remind him of the good old days, when the Vandals were nearly unbeatable in the Kibbie Dome, or elsewhere.

“We had so much success with the benches on the other side. They got mad at me, but I said, ‘I just want this one thing,”’ Davis said.

So the team benches were moved back to face the student section, the way they were when Davis compiled a 52-12 record over two seasons to close the decade of the 1980s.

Roughly everything else, however, figures to be different in Davis’ second go-round.

Idaho will be entirely beatable this season. The Vandals face a brutal schedule with an undersized, but hard-working crew.

Idaho has left the Big Sky Conference for the tougher Big West. Likely, the Vandals won’t match up well against their new brethren. Idaho will be rebuilding and Davis will need construction time.

Perhaps most importantly, Davis is not the same.

Wins and losses still matter, obviously, but climbing the coaching ladder isn’t a big priority.

“My outlook’s really changed. When you go through what I’ve gone through, what my family’s gone through… you know, as you get older you get more mature,” Davis said. “We love the community here and the kids are happy in school. It’s a safe community.

“A lot of other things are priorities now.”

What Davis went through was a scandal at Texas A&M, his destination after leaving Moscow. When he resigned at A&M because of recruiting violations, his life was at a crisis.

About every friend-turned-career-counselor urged Davis to get out of coaching. His dream of coaching in the Final Four was all but history. His last paycheck was arriving in a month or two. He had an opportunity to become a sports agent.

He chose to stay in basketball.

“A bunch of people were saying, ‘You ought to get out of basketball because you may never get back where you want to be,’ ” Davis said.

“I remember I talked to my dad for a long time. He said, ‘You want to stay in coaching?’ I said, ‘Yeah, Dad, that’s what I want to do. I don’t care what level, I like dealing with the guys and practice.’ I did some scouting for the (San Antonio) Spurs, then the JC thing arose.”

That was at Chipola JC in Marianna, Fla. He started as an assistant, then took over the head position. From there, he went to work for one of his best friends, Larry Eustachy, at Utah State.

Idaho isn’t the Final Four, but it might as well be for Davis.

“The thing I’m most proud of is the way my family held together and fought together,” said Davis, whose team has its home opener tonight against Idaho State at 7:05.

“I don’t look back much. That’s in the past, and we all learn valuable lessons. I’m 36. Some guys are busting their tail trying to get their first job at 40, 44. These people gave me the opportunity to have this job. I’m very grateful to be here.”

Now, the work begins.

Idaho will take its lumps, Davis admits, “but if we all stick together, we’ll have a quality team in January.”

The Vandals were 12-16 last year, costing coach Joe Cravens his job. Interest in the program was waning; attendance slipping.

“It’s not disturbing. It’s college athletics,” Davis said. “We’ve got to go out into the community, and it’ll be a gradual process to get people thinking about Idaho basketball again.”

The top returners are 6-foot-9 Jason Jackman (12.1 points last year), 6-0 guard Reggie Rose (13.9) and 6-3 wing Eddie Turner (10.0). Key arrivals are 6-8 Kevin Byrne, 6-0 point guard Derrick Elliott and 6-4 forwards Troy Thompson and Marcus Wallace.

Davis pledges to adjust Idaho’s future schedules. He’s not pleased that UI went to Indiana to play Purdue on Sunday, goes back to the Midwest to play Southwest Missouri State on Saturday then has road dates next week against Washington and Idaho State.

“I really want to get back to playing Gonzaga, home and home, which we’ll do next year, and Eastern Washington, Montana,” he said. “There are some quality programs in this area and we don’t have to go all across the country.”

Any success he achieves will be done by the book.

“There’s nobody in college basketball who will be more of a stickler for the rules than Kermit Davis,” he said.

For example, at a banquet last year, he attended a social function but not the awards ceremony. Why? Because at that time of year, NCAA rules forbid coaches from being in the same room as prospective recruits.

“I just hope we can play quality basketball,” Davis said. “Sometimes, and my wife (Betty) reminds me of this all the time, it can’t happen as fast as you’d like. These guys are doing what we’re asking them to do.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo; Graphic: Basketball Preview 1996

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: IDAHO MEN’S BASKETBALL ROSTER Name Pos. H W Yr. Hometown Kris Baumann G 6-1 185 Jr. New Plymouth, Idaho Kevin Byrne F 6-8 212 Soph. Costa Mesa, Calif. Derrick Elliott C 6-0 176 Jr. Seattle Jon Harris G 6-5 205 Fr. Boise Jason Jackman F 6-9 215 Sr. Hurricane, Utah Reggie Rose G 6-0 173 Sr. Chicago Troy Thompson F 6-4 203 Jr. San Jose, Calif. Eddie Turner G 6-3 183 Sr. Seattle Marcus Wallace F 6-4 216 Jr. Mountain Home, Idaho Jarrett Wendt F 6-5 190 Jr. Santa Monica, Calif.

Schedule (All times Pacific) Date Opponent Time Nov. 16 vs. Global Sports All-Stars (Exhibition) Win, 87-76 Nov. 24 at Purdue Lose, 86-63 Nov. 27 vs. Idaho State 7:05 Nov. 30 at Southwest Missouri State 5:05 Dec. 3 at Washington 7 Dec. 5 at Idaho State 6:30 Dec. 8 vs. Simon Fraser 3:05 Dec. 14 at Washington State 7 Dec. 21 vs. Western Montana 7:05 Dec. 23 vs. St. Martin’s 7:05 Dec. 28 at Hawaii-Hilo Tournament (vs. Liberty) 7 Dec. 29 at Hilo Tournament (vs. E. Michigan) 7 Dec. 30 at Hawaii-Hilo (vs. Hawaii-Hilo) 9:30 Jan. 3 vs. Lewis Clark State 7:05 Jan. 9 vs. Nevada 7:05 Jan. 12 vs. Utah State 7:05 Jan. 16 at Pacific TBA Jan. 18 vs. Boise State 7:05 Jan. 23 at New Mexico State 6:05 Jan. 25 at North Texas 5 Jan. 30 vs. Cal State-Fullerton 7:05 Feb. 1 vs. UC-Irvine 7:05 Feb. 6 at UC-Santa Barbara 7:30 Feb. 8 at Cal Poly-SLO 1 Feb. 11 vs. Washington State 7:05 Feb. 13 vs. North Texas 7:05 Feb. 15 vs. New Mexico State 7:05 Feb. 20 at Utah State 6:05 Feb. 22 at Nevada 7:30 Feb. 27 vs. Long Beach State 7:05 March 2 at Boise State 1 March 7-8 Region 18 Tournament (at Reno, Nev.) TBA