Father, Son Team At Rogers Mergenthalers Enjoy Rare Coach-Player Experience

With each agonizing loss, Rick Mergenthaler becomes more determined to succeed. But no matter what the record is when the final whistle blows, he wouldn’t trade this season for any other.

This is the season in the life of the vagabond basketball coach when every minute of every practice and every game - every tear and every cheer - is spent with his oldest son, Rick Jr.

“Sometimes it’s hard because Ricky is not only my son but an athlete,” the first-year Rogers coach said. “He can’t make mistakes. He has to understand (it’s a father thing) and sometimes I have to understand he’s human and he will make mistakes.”

With the task at hand - turning Rogers into a playoff team - Mergenthaler doesn’t allow himself to be a proud parent when Ricky is on the court.

“I just see him as a player,” he said. “When I watch game film, I can enjoy (the good plays). We’ve looked forward to playing together, but it came so quickly as life flies by. … Now, in a few short minutes it will be gone.”

Ricky understands.

“It’s kind of difficult - he expects me to do everything right … set the trend, be a leader,” he said, separating the father-coach roles. “He’s my coach at school and dad at home.”

Maybe it is easy to be detached because it was just a matter of time before father and son were united for the common goal. Ricky was always there as his father climbed the coaching ladder, from small towns in Idaho, to Dillon, Mont., to Elma and Tahoma, Wash.

“I was foolish enough to want to be a head basketball coach at a very young age,” Mergenthaler quipped.

That meant proving himself at a small school and moving on, instead of settling into a program and biding his time.

Ricky began to wonder if he was going to have the chance he prepared a lifetime for.

While Ricky’s Tahoma freshman team was going 16-4, his dad was severing ties at the school and was planning to watch his son’s career unfold from the stands. But a friend at Kent-Meridian talked him into becoming a varsity assistant, and he never saw a game of Ricky’s sophomore season at Tahoma.

That wasn’t an acceptable situation, and Mergenthaler told his son he was moving to Kent. However, the family couldn’t find a house in the K-M district, so the Mergenthalers ended up at Kentridge.

Then fate intervened, and even though the Mergenthalers settled in the Mead district, there was no doubt Ricky would accompany his father to Rogers.

“It’s always been a dream for me to play for my dad,” he said. “It was always my dream to take him to the state tournament.”

The state tournament is a long shot with the Pirates struggling at 1-6 in the Greater Spokane League, 3-6 overall. There is, however, no second-guessing Ricky’s decision to follow his father - even if Mead is tied for the league lead.

“I think our team at Rogers is just getting used to my dad’s program,” he said. “I think we’re going to just keep improving as a team. Mead is a great team. We might not be league contenders, but our team will be coming to our peak. We can be as good as we want to be.”

Ricky said he was readily accepted by teammates, although being a coach’s son prepared him for criticism.

“You always have critics who say because your dad is coach is the only reason you’re playing,” he said. “I’ve worked hard all my life to be a basketball player. I’ve earned what I’ve gotten.”

Moving often has prepared him for constantly proving himself.

“I think it’s great,” his father said. “My family knows my philosophy. We told the kids as they moved, their friends are within the family and will be their friends for life. The kids bonded together really well.”

Ricky hopes to continue his basketball career at Ricks College next year, and then possibly follow three older sisters at Brigham Young. He doesn’t expect his father to move on.

“As long as he has success and as long as he finds enjoyment in coaching and helping players, he’ll be here,” Ricky said. “Success isn’t always wins and losses. The wins … will come if you teach. Sports teaches lifelong lessons.”

His dad added, “I think we’ll stay in Spokane. Right now, what I’m looking to do is to establish a program at Rogers, and that will take some time.

“If you look at some of the things we’re trying to do defensively, it can’t be done in a year. It takes time, it’s a frame of thought, a philosophy.”