POCATELLO — Three months after leaving for Montana and a job coaching wide receivers, former Lake City High standout Matt Troxel had returned to Idaho State to resume his role as Bengals’ offensive coordinator.

Troxel left for Montana in January, shortly before the Bengals announced the “retirement” of head coach Mike Kramer. Rob Phenicie, who briefly replaced Troxel before leaving for a job at Northern Iowa, was then hired by Idaho State as head coach.

“The opportunity to return to Idaho State was one I could not pass on,” Troxel said in an ISU news release. “I’ve known Coach Phenicie since I was a junior in high school. He coached me at the University of Montana and has been a great friend of mine in the coaching profession. Coach Phen has a great plan and vision for the program. I knew if I passed on the opportunity I would be missing out on something special that is about to happen in Pocatello.”

Phenicie added, “I was approached several years ago by Murray State as a potential candidate for a job there. He was the first person that I asked. I always felt that if I ever got a head job that he would be one of the first hires I made. He and I speak the same language. We can communicate without saying so many words to each other. I think you saw some of our efforts toward the end of the season together.”

Troxel will enter his seventh season at Idaho State. During Troxel’s time at Idaho State he has coached the inside wide receivers, special teams, offensive line, quarterbacks and served one year as the offensive coordinator.

“The last big piece for me is the athletes and staff at Idaho State,” Troxel said. “We’ve put in a lot of great work over the six seasons I’ve been in Pocatello. When I left in January I felt like I let the players down and in my heart I knew the job was unfinished. I came back to finish what we started.”

Troxel played football at Montana from 2004-07.

“Montana is a special place to me and it was very difficult to leave so soon,” Troxel said.

NIC-CCS softball matchup

rescheduled for May 3

COEUR d’ALENE — North Idaho College’s NWAC East league matchup against the Community Colleges of Spokane, originally scheduled for April 18 and then April 19 that was canceled for inclement weather and field conditions, has been moved to 4 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, at Memorial Field.