Manzardo Takes Job As Baseball Coach At North Idaho College

North Idaho College has a new baseball coach.

Paul Manzardo accepted the job late Tuesday night.

“I’m really excited and anxious to get going and looking forward to next season,” he said.

NIC athletic director Jim Headley was out of a town and didn’t return phone messages.

Manzardo, 27, played at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Mich., an NCAA Division II program. His team won four consecutive league titles.

“I learned quite a bit from my coach at Ferris State and he’s been instrumental in helping me clear up my doubts and concerns,” he said. “I don’t want to fail. I’m going to work my tail off to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Manzardo had second thoughts about the position before deciding Tuesday night to take it.

He has limited coaching experience. He is assisting with the Coeur d’Alene American Legion baseball team this summer.

Manzardo already works at NIC as supervisor of the intramural program. “It’s a big responsibility and he hasn’t done it before,” Bennett said, “but if we didn’t think he could do the job we wouldn’t have offered it to him.”

Manzardo replaces longtime coach Jack Bloxom, who is retiring. NIC previously offered the position to Gonzaga University assistant Scott Rogers, but he declined and accepted a teaching/coaching position at Columbia Basin College in Pasco.

NIC’s position pays roughly $14,000.

NIC lands Nater

Alysha Nater, daughter of former UCLA center Swen Nater, has signed a letter of intent to play basketball at NIC.

Alysha Nater is 6-foot-2 and redshirted last year at UC-Santa Barbara. She suffered a knee injury toward the end of last season and is just now returning to full health. “She has the ability to shoot it and rebound,” NIC coach Greg Crimp said.

Crimp has signed six recruits and has eight returning players.

NIC’s Jana Nearing has committed to play at Phillips College in Enid, Okla., a traditionally strong NAIA program.

Nearing, a sophomore forward from Bonners Ferry, was among the Region 18 rebounding leaders and played a key role in the Cardinals’ Region 18 Tournament championship.

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