THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE: Jayson Ulrich is betting on himself — and his fellow coach — at NIC

Jayson Ulrich was thisclose to taking his team to state this past season, in his first season as head boys basketball coach at Post Falls High. 

Before that, the former Lewiston boys head coach was an assistant for three seasons in the Trojans program, before taking over as head coach when Mike McLean retired after 18 seasons. 

But Jayson Ulrich’s day job is at North Idaho College, as coordinator of student wellness and recreation, and running the intramural programs. 

So when Nathan Covill resigned recently after four seasons as North Idaho College women’s basketball coach, and assistant coach Louie Vargas was named interim coach, Jayson and Louie got to talking, and ... 

Ulrich resigned as Post Falls boys basketball coach last week, and will be an interim assistant coach under Vargas with the NIC women. 

“The opportunity came up, and I just couldn’t pass it up,” said Ulrich, 49. “It was kind of a no-brainer for me, here at the college already, and having the opportunity to work with Louie Vargas ... better for my family and my retirement. It’s kinda bittersweet, but I couldn’t pass it up.” 

SHORTLY AFTER his Post Falls team lost to Lake City in the deciding game of a grueling three-game series for the district’s lone berth to state in late February, Ulrich and his Trojan coaches went back to work, setting up offseason workouts, getting ready for summer ball, etc. 

Then NIC happened. 

Ulrich, who has worked at the college for four years, has known Vargas, who was an assistant for the NIC men’s team before moving over to the women’s side.  

“Having the women’s athletes over here at the rec center working out, me and him would talk basketball, because he was involved in their offseason workouts. That’s where we first hit it off,” Ulrich said.  

“College has always intrigued me,” he added. “It’s a huge opportunity, and I look forward to all the nuances of it. Having a chance to work with Louis Vargas is a huge bonus.” 

Saying goodbye to Post Falls was not easy. 

“It was a tough decision; one I didn’t take lightly — because there’s a lot of Post Falls athletes that I’m attached to,” said Ulrich, who coached some of the Trojan players all four years he was there. “I’m going to follow them, and help them as much as I can. It’s not a goodbye, it’s going to be a lot of check-ins with those kids, helping them out as much as I can.”

Post Falls has already started the progress of hiring Ulrich’s successor, who will be the Trojans’ third head coach in three seasons. 

"We had hoped to have him for a long time,” Post Falls athletic director Craig Christensen said. “He did an excellent job for us; he’s a very good coach ... but I understand. He had the opportunity to work at the college level, and make more money, and not have to drive back and forth. I can’t fault anybody for wanting to move on to the college level. He has to do what’s best for his family. We hated to lose him, but we want what’s best for him also.” 

Ulrich said his bosses with each of his jobs were supportive of his duties at both schools. 

Now, he’s at one place all day. 

“Instead of getting here (at NIC) early, going over to Post Falls (for practice), coming back here for night stuff that I have to do (overseeing intramural sports), now I’m all in one place. It’s a heckuva lot more efficient,” Ulrich said. 

Other than coaching his daughters when they were younger, Ulrich has been a boys basketball coach — for 20 years at Lewiston High, his alma mater, including the last eight as head coach. 

"But I think I can approach it the same way, and use my 26 years of experience in just coaching athletes,” Ulrich said. “At the end of the day, they’re athletes.” 

STILL, IT’S an interim job. 

Eventually, NIC will name permanent coaches, “so I have to prove myself, and I’m up for the challenge, Ulrich said. “There’s always that risk. That was part of the gamble, but I feel pretty confident in what we can do together.” 

Ulrich has already begun his duties at NIC, developing offseason workout plans for the returning players, and helping Vargas with whatever he needs. 

“I think Louie is really good,” Ulrich said. “I know they have to open it up, but I think Louie, in my mind, I think he’s a no-brainer. He’s an excellent coach. Everything I have seen him do, on and off the court, whether it be high school boys, college girls, is top-notch. Attention to detail ... I think he’s going to be an amazing head coach. I’m taking the chance that it’s here, and I have a lot of confidence in him that he is the best candidate.” 

POST FALLS beat Lake City twice during the season. The T-Wolves won three of the meetings. 

Seven days after losing that deciding game at districts, the Trojans watched from afar as Lake City won the state title in Nampa. 

That could have been Post Falls. 

“It makes you sick to your stomach,” Ulrich said. “You never know when you get down there ... when you go to a state tournament, you’ve got to have some luck involved as well. Lake City, I like to think we helped them get to that point. It’s unfortunate that only one team could get down there. Yeah, I’d like to think we could have made some noise down there, and brought back some kind of trophy.” 

Still, Ulrich talked all season about how much he enjoyed being around this Post Falls team, which finished 16-8. 

“I wouldn’t change it for the world,” he said. “It was a fun run with those guys all year long.” 

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 208-664-8176, Ext. 1205, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @CdAPressSports.