Nic’s Owen Retires After 20 Years With Cardinal Wrestlers, He Wants To Spend Time With His Family

John Owen, plain-spoken as always, announced his resignation on Monday as North Idaho College wrestling coach for family reasons.

At an afternoon press conference, Owen told of personal anecdotes that ate at him during his run of eight national titles in 20 years of coaching.

“When (daughter) Jennifer was 3 years old, to get my attention she would call me ‘coach’ instead of ‘dad’ because when she’d say ‘dad’ I wouldn’t hear her,” Owen said.

His son, Tommy, will enter high school this fall, which meant a possible conflict between his state tournament and dad’s national junior college tournament.

“It’s just something I knew had to happen,” Owen said. “For me right now to coach another national champion or All-American is not as important as what I want to do with my family.”

It is important whom NIC selects as his replacement, Owen said. He will recommend one of his former wrestlers, Pat Whitcomb, who won individual national titles in 1986-87.

“Simply because he’s the best leader I’ve ever coached,” Owen said of Whitcomb, the head coach at Lake City High. “He leads just by walking into the room. He has a presence.”

Whitcomb said he hasn’t decided if he’ll apply. Other names that might surface include former NIC wrestlers T.J. Nelson, coach at Western Montana; Phil McLean, coach at Gonzaga Prep; and Owen’s brother, Don, head coach at University High.

NIC athletic director Jim Headley said Owen’s input will be important to the selection of a new coach. The job will be advertised for two weeks and the selection should come shortly thereafter.

Asked about losing Owen as a coach, Headley was unable to respond as tears filled his eyes.

“I’ve worked with a lot of coaches in the 35-36 years I’ve been in this business,” NIC president Bob Bennett said. “I’ve never met a man more dedicated.”

Owen’s dedication fueled his success, Whitcomb said. “He goes the extra mile for you and that makes you want to return that. If you want to quit when the going gets tough, it’s pretty tough to quit on ‘JO’ because he’ll never quit on you.

“Basically, John Owen is North Idaho College wrestling.”

Don Owen said he models many of his brother’s approaches to wrestling.

“The most important thing is that he does a lot for his kids and his programs,” said Don, who doesn’t expect to apply for the NIC job. “He’s out hunting for apartments, helping them get their family lives together. So when it comes time for those guys to give something back, like hard work, they do it.”

Ricks College coach Bob Christensen enjoyed competing against Owen’s teams.

“Even though we were rivals, we were friendly rivals,”’ he said. “And when we met, it was somebody you liked and respected.

“He spends a lot of time at it. When I’ve given up looking for recruits, he’s still out there looking.”

Owen, who who will remain at NIC as an instructor, acknowledged he worries about the program’s future in light of recent gender equity and budget battles on campus. But he’s been assured by administrators a full-time coach will be hired.

Owen said he might return to coaching someday, possibly in the high school ranks. He stressed he doesn’t want to coach his son Tommy.

“I’d like to sit in the stands, to be honest, and not coach Tommy,” said Owen, who wants to continue helping organize the Tri-State high school tournament, NIC’s primary fund-raiser. “I’d like to be his dad.”

Owen’s decision was 4 years in the making.

“As a wrestling coach, you never have a Christmas break where you can relax, you never have a spring break or a summer. I want to try those things,” he said.

“I want to be able to walk out the door at 5 p.m. and go home to my family and not feel guilty about being there. I feel like I’m scared to death because all I’ve ever been is a coach. Or what I was. Past tense.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Owen’s legacy 20 seasons 8 national team titles 102 All-Americans 172 nationals qualifiers 35 individual national champions Dual meet record 304-23-2 NJCAA Wrestling Hall of Fame, 1989