Northwest Notes Dec. 24, 2025

Few again a nominee for Naismith Hall of Fame

Gonzaga men's basketball coach Mark Few returns as a nominee for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Nearly 200 players and teams were on the list, including some finalists who fell short of enshrinement in the 2025 class, including Few.

Finalists are typically announced at NBA All-Star Weekend in February. The 2026 class will be unveiled April 4 at the NCAA Final Four, with enshrinement weekend Aug. 14 and 15 at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn., and at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Mass.

Vandals hire Stalker as defensive coordinator/linebackers coach

Idaho head football coach Thomas Ford Jr. announced the hiring of Lee Stalker as the Vandals' new defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. 

The hire was finalized on Tuesday.

Stalker will be formally introduced along with new offensive coordinator Ian Shoemaker at a press conference in the P1FCU Kibbie Dome on a later date. The time and date will be made public as it becomes available. 

“He’s a brilliant defensive mind," Ford said. "He brings a scheme that is multiple, allowing opportunities for a lot of different players to contribute, and will have carryover with a lot of the things we did well on defense in 2025. He is an excellent teacher, evaluator of talent, and will bring an exciting brand of defense to Moscow.”

Stalker joins the Vandals with nearly a decade and a half of coaching experience. Most recently, he had a three-year stint at Iowa State, where he worked coaching the defense.

Before his time in Ames, Stalker spent two seasons at his alma mater, Kent State. While there, he coached the outside linebackers in 2021 and was the linebackers coach in 2022. In his first year with the Flashes, Kent State won the MAC East championship and appeared in the Famous Idaho Potato Bowl. 

From 2019-2020, Stalker was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at NCAA Division II Valdosta State. 

Stalker played defensive line at Kent State, was a three-year letter winner for the Flashes and was named team captain in 2011.