NIC interim Phay awaits fate

Jared Phay’s season-long audition to remove the ‘interim’ from his title of North Idaho College interim men’s basketball coach has reached the final act.

So far, somewhat mixed reviews on the court, praise for everything non-basketball related as those with ties to the program wait to learn Phay’s fate.

“We don’t know how it’s going to go,” freshman point guard Keelan Donald said, “but we’d really like it if he comes back.”

The 28-year-old Phay was promoted from assistant coach to interim head coach in September, just two weeks before NIC’s first practice and six weeks prior to its first game. At the time, athletic director Al Williams said Phay’s status would be reviewed after the season and that remains the case.

What’s evident is that NIC (13-15 overall, 5-11 Scenic West Athletic Conference) could enhance Phay’s resume with a strong finish. That won’t be easy, with NIC entertaining Salt Lake (21-5, 10-4) on Friday and Saturday. Then, the Cardinals will be underdogs in the first round of the upcoming Region 18 Tournament.

“It could really impact it quite a bit,” said freshman forward Darin Nagle. “We’re starting to play better and everybody’s coming together. With how hard everybody’s working in practice, it’s going to pay off at the end.

“Right now, everybody thinks we’ll finish out these games and go to CSI (the likely tournament site) and lose one. But everyone on this team knows we can play with anybody in the league.”

Williams acknowledges the remainder of the season carries significant weight.

“It really could, not to put any more pressure on Jared,” said Williams, who has been an assistant coach at the collegiate level and is no stranger to Cardinal practices. “He’s varied practices so it’s not boring, and the bottom line is they genuinely like each other and they play hard for each other. He’s a positive motivator and that’s good for kids.

“There are times where we’ve shown a spark and play really well and times where we don’t do things fundamentally sound and they’re trying to make the ESPN highlight reel. If we get everyone on the same page, we’re pretty darn good.”

The soft-spoken Phay said he’ll probably struggle to get a good night’s sleep this week, but that’s pretty much how it’s been all season. He’s had his share of early-morning film sessions when his eyes refuse to stay closed.

“It’s kind of been a roller coaster year, but my concern has been if it’s in the guys’ minds,” he said. “I don’t talk about it much, but especially with the freshmen when we’re in one-on-one meetings, it’s on their minds more than mine.”

NIC will have to hustle to match the recent overall and SWAC records of Hugh Watson, Phay’s predecessor. Watson, NIC’s coach from 1996-2004, resigned in September to take the coaching job at Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, Tenn.

Watson’s late departure left Phay with little time to assemble a coaching staff, map out practice schedules and prepare for the rigors of the SWAC, one of the toughest junior college conferences in the nation.

Those challenges paled in comparison to Phay having to rally his troops his troops through seven- and five-game losing streaks.

“I’m proud of the way the guys have battled,” Phay said.

Phay, too, has battled. He admits early on he probably had the “deer-in-the-headlights look.” He’s not satisfied with NIC’s record, but he’s also tried to be patient with a team that relies heavily on eight freshmen.

“Probably the biggest thing I’ve learned is you can sit and talk with people and learn as much as you can, but you can’t grasp everything until you go through it,” Phay said. “It’s been a great experience, but it’s kind of like when you taste it and understand it, you want it more. I want it now even more than I did before.”

The decision rests with Williams, who receives phone calls and e-mails on a daily basis from prospective coaches requesting that he “keep them in mind if a change is made.”

Williams is waiting to see what the rest of the season brings.

“This team is good enough that anything can happen,” he said. “Off the court, he’s done a pretty good job. The kids are respectful, they play hard, and the team GPA is good.

“They do respect Jared and that’s major when you’re a young coach. It’s a matter of if we are reaching our potential. I have to look at it and say, ‘Is this the best we could have got out of this squad? Would we have been better with another coach?’ But it wouldn’t be fair to judge without having played the whole season.”