Pfeifer takes his big chance at Division I

Some job changes make sense for family reasons. Some result in a pay hike. Some provide an opportunity to work for a person you hold in high regard.

And some just feel right.

George Pfeifer experienced all of the reasons above in deciding to leave a Lewis-Clark State College men’s basketball program he’d built into national prominence for an assistant coaching position at the University of Idaho.

“I’ve always kind of peeked around the corner and we’ve always played a lot of Division I schools (at LCSC) and it’s enjoyable,” Pfeifer said. “In the back of my mind, I’ve wondered what it would be like. I’d hate to die and wonder what it would have been like.”

The side benefits are numerous for Pfeifer, who graduated from LCSC in 1979 and earned his Master’s degree from Idaho in 1989. His son, Duncan, is a sophomore at Idaho and his daughter, Jennifer, is manager for the UI women’s basketball team.

Pfeifer agreed to a one-year contract worth $50,000, Athletic Director Rob Spear said. Pfeifer made $46,000 at LCSC, where he guided the Warriors to six NAIA tournaments and a 296-206 record in 16 seasons. Prior to Pfeifer’s arrival, LCSC had won one playoff game – in 1947 – as a four-year institution.

Pfeifer leaves behind a program that won 56 games and Frontier Conference titles the last two years. He’s particularly delighted that LCSC was unbeaten in its new 3,500-seat activity center last season.

“I was undefeated at home; I’ll never lose one there,” Pfeifer cracked.

Pfeifer, 49, is following a similar path as Mike Divilbiss, who coached LCSC’s women’s basketball team to 310 wins in 14 seasons before taking over the Vandals’ program four years ago.

“The positive things (Mike) said about Idaho, the athletic director and the good things he had to say about coach Perry. … If he was telling me how bad it was, you know, I probably wouldn’t be here,” Pfeifer said.

Not that Pfeifer and Perry needed introductions. They’ve known each other for a long time.

“It was the right time and right place for me to go from a head coach to an assistant,” Pfeifer said. “It had to be the right person, and it was. He does it the right way. If you’ve got good people, you’ll get it done.”

The addition of Pfeifer and the impending arrival of former Wyoming assistant Leroy Washington, 41, bring an experience upgrade to the Vandals’ bench. Washington, who played at Montana from 1982-85, has 20 years of assistant coaching experience with stops at Cal Poly-Pomona, Long Beach State, Montana, Oregon State and Wyoming. Washington’s appointment will probably be announced in a couple of weeks.

Pfeifer wasn’t certain what his duties will be at Idaho but he’s flexible. At LCSC he was involved from “A to Z,” he said. “Whatever Leonard believes we need to do, I’m willing to do.”