By MARK NELKE

Sports editor

Byron Hout received the text from his brother, Nolan, in November, and the wheels started turning.

The text included an article about an opening for the head football coaching job at Lake City High, Hout’s alma mater.

Hout has been a college football assistant coach for 11 years, but has often talked of running his own program.

He said he had thought about returning to Lake City a few years ago, but it didn’t feel like the right time back then.

But this time …

“When he (Nolan) texted me that link it was like ‘Man, this is it. This is what I’ve been waiting for,’” said Hout, who on Tuesday was offered and accepted the head football coaching job at Lake City. “Everything I’ve done to this point felt like it was leading me to apply and get this job. When it came back open, it was like a no-brainer for me … everything I’ve learned has given me this knowledge to pass on to these kids, and be a head coach.”

Hout, 33, replaces Brian Fulp, who resigned after five seasons and a 14-31 record, including a 2-7 campaign in 2022.

“We’re super excited we got him,” first-year Lake City athletic director Troy Anderson said Wednesday. “He means a lot to this place. He has a really good resume. But the culture-building that he will do in our building alone, and in the community, is something that attracts him to almost anybody that meets with him … he is super-passionnate about Lake City High School, turning this thing around and building a positive culture for the future.”

The hire is pending approval by the Coeur d’Alene School Board. Hout will have a teaching position at Lake City to be determined, Anderson said.

Anderson said roughly 15 people reached out or applied for the position, and “a handful” were interviewed.

Hout has been on the staff at Idaho State the past two seasons — one year as defensive line coach, and last season as director of football operations. For this coming season, under new coach Cody Hawkins, he was scheduled to be a defensive “flex” coach, likely working with defensive linemen and linebackers.

Hout, who said his grandparents still live in the area, and his brother and family recently moved back to the area, said he hopes to get started at Lake City as soon as possible, meeting with players, parents, community members and others.

“More recently, as director of football operations, that’s probably given me a lot of knowledge of what it takes to be a high school coach,” Hout said Wednesday by phone from Pocatello, where he is wrapping up his duties with ISU. “Because, I’m managing the budget here, I’m booking the travel, I was the equipment manager here for two months while we didn’t have one. So I’ve done the laundry; I’ve talked to the (equipment) reps. I’ve dealt with administration, I’ve dealt with boosters. A lot of what I’ve done recently has really set me up for the high school level.”

Hout was a junior at Lake City in 2006 when the Timberwolves went 12-0 for the program’s second state title, and he was named the state 5A Player of the Year.

He earned a scholarship to Boise State, where he was a backup on the defensive line for two seasons, then started at linebacker his last two. As a junior, he was named second-team all-Western Athletic Conference and as a senior, he was honorable mention all-Mountain West Conference.

Hout was a grad assistant for one season at Washington State and for three seasons at Boise State. He was defensive line coach at Montana State for five seasons before moving on to Idaho State in 2021.

He lists his past coaches — Van Troxel at Lake City, Jeff Choate at BSU and Montana State, Chris Petersen and Bryan Harsin at BSU, and Charlie Ragle at ISU — among his influences.

“I’ve reached out to past players and coaches, and they describe him as more of a high school coach,” Anderson said of Hout. “His past players, the love they have for him, the relationships they have with him … he desperately wants to contribute to the lives of young people, like people like Van Troxel did for him.”

Since Troxel, who started the Lake City program in 1994, resigned following the 2015 season, Lake City has gone 19-43, including 2-19 in 5A Inland Empire League play.

“He was the obvious choice from the get-go, to be honest,” Anderson said of Hout. “The stuff that he talks about doing, and the desire that he shows, wanting to bring this program back to where it was, I think he’s got all the tools to make this thing really great. He knows where we’ve been, where we’re at and where we want to take it. I have no doubt that he can get there, because of the type of person he is. He’s got a magnetic personality that will bring people to him that will want to be a part of this. We’re going in the right direction with this hire. The last couple of days, there’s been a little more energy around this place, even during Christmas break.”

Hout’s goals at Lake City?

“I think it’s about the values and the culture and building the relationships, and having a positive impact on the community,” he said. “If you do those things, wins will come, eventually, over time. That’s my goal — to build those relationships, that foundation for this program in Year 1. And a big part of that is loving my players, and getting them to love each other, and building the culture the right way. The wins, and the scheme, and the Xs and Os, that’s going to come down the road.”