By JASON ELLIOTT

Sports writer

After spending some time as an assistant wrestling coach at Ellsworth Community College in Iowa Falls, Iowa, Derrick Booth wanted to figure out what to do next.

“I was back living in Coeur d’Alene and working for the family business,” said Booth, whose family runs B&O Construction based in Spokane. “I still wanted to be into wrestling, but didn’t know where.”

Where wound up being North Idaho College, where Booth was named interim coach on Oct. 4. Booth wrestled on the 2012 NJCAA championship team, the program’s last of its 13 national titles.

“When you’re a wrestling coach, there’s no better job than at NIC,” said Booth, who qualified for nationals twice between 2012 and 2014, and was an All-American once. “This place has everything you want with a program that has so much history.”

Booth, a 2010 Post Falls High graduate and two-time state placer, takes over for Mike Sebaaly, who resigned after being placed on administrative leave in September. Sebaaly stepped away from the program last season to serve as interim president, with former assistant coach Chase Clasen finishing the season as coach. Clasen left to take the head coaching position at NAIA Concordia. Tyler McLean was named interim coach while Sebaaly served as interim president, but also left to take a teaching and assistant coaching position at Mead High. NIC athletic director Shawn Noel was interim coach before Booth was hired.

Former Post Falls standouts Ryan Graves (165 pounds), Ethan Miller (184) and Lane Reardon (174) transferred from Ellsworth to NIC after last season.

“I knew they were leaving Ellsworth, but didn’t know they were here until I got the call about coaching,” Booth said. “I loved coaching those guys in Iowa and look forward to having them here now.”

Also back are All-Americans Grant Porter and Ledger Petracek. Porter will move from 133 to 141 pounds this year. Petracek and Brandon Bollinger will be back after the holiday break, Booth said. Petracek was fourth, Porter seventh at nationals last year.

“Grant’s a good leader and works really hard,” Booth said. “Brandon’s out for the fall with an arm injury, but will be back by the winter. Ledger’s also working his way back.”

Sophomore Hunter Suter also qualified for nationals at 184 last year for NIC, which opens the season tonight against Montana State-Northern in Havre, Mont.

Booth added the school recently hired Cooper Thomas, a former NIC wrestler, as assistant coach.

“He’s been a great help so far,” Booth said. “He’s been a real benefit to the program.”

As of now, NIC’s lone home match is Jan. 20 against defending national champion Clackamas, but Booth is working to schedule a few more home dates.

“When I wrestled here, and being where we’re at, you’ll always have a travel schedule,” Booth said. “We’re going to do as much as we can with the schedule we have.”

NIC will also compete in the National Duals in Miami, Okla., Jan. 13-14 and also has a dual match schedule with NJCAA Carl Albert State of Poteau, Okla., on Jan. 5 at Meridian High, on the eve of the Rollie Lane Invitational at the Ford Idaho Center in Nampa.

“It’s a good opportunity to get down there and get in front of those kids and let them see what we’re all about,” Booth said. “They’re planning a big event around it with the top 5A team Meridian and 3A with South Fremont facing each other. It’s a good chance to let them see the only college wrestling program in the state.”

The West District Championships are Sunday, Feb. 12 in Oregon City, Ore., with nationals March 3-4 in Council Bluffs, Iowa.