THE FRONT ROW with JASON ELLIOTT: Covill wanted to stay, but didn't have the room

Nathan Covill has spent a lot of his time at North Idaho College as women’s basketball coach navigating bumps in the road. 

Whether it’s been on the highways of Idaho, Utah and Colorado driving rental cars, or guiding the team as it transitioned from regionally-based Northwest Athletic Conference back to the NJCAA for the 2022-23 season, it’s been a process. 

COVILL, WHO led the Cardinals to two postseason appearances in four years, resigned as coach on Wednesday. 

Covill lived in a home in Coeur d'Alene owned by his brother-in-law, but that living situation has since changed. 

“I’ve been living here for four years, but I’m still there,” Covill said. “I’ve been lucky that I’ve been able to stay there rent free, but they’re consolidating their properties and bought a new home. While I’ve been looking for the last year, I haven’t been able to find a place I can afford to make it work. It’s strictly a financial thing and wasn’t that I don’t want to coach here. I just couldn’t be a good husband and pay two mortgages.” 

Covill’s wife, Angela, still lives in the family home in Missoula, Mont. His youngest daughter, Alex, recently completed her junior season as a member of the Washington State women’s basketball team. 

Covill, who played collegiately at Montana, was an assistant coach at Willamette University in Salem, Ore., then was an assistant for the Montana women's basketball program before coming to NIC.

NIC finished 10-18 this season. The Cardinals were 17-13 during the 2024-25 season, advancing to the Region 18 Tournament. NIC went 8-17 in 2023-24, the program’s first back in the NJCAA. 

In his first season as NIC coach, Covill led the Cardinals to a 17-12 record and an appearance in the NWAC quarterfinals in 2022-23.

“The first year back in the NJCAA was a little rough and we took some lumps,” Covill said. “We had a competitive team last year and were even looking at hosting regionals at one point, but didn’t finish the way we wanted to. We had some injuries this year, but I’m most proud of the kids we’ve been able to send onto four-year schools. Being able to give kids the opportunity to play at the next level is something every coach should want to do. I’ve been blessed to coach some ladies that have grown into great players.” 

Covill was recruiting players for the program last Saturday at the Idaho High School All-Star basketball games at North Idaho College’s Christianson Gymnasium. 

“It’s been rough,” Covill said. “It was rough to tell the kids I had to make this move. I’ve been blessed to have this opportunity. I love coaching and this job gave me the chance to see what it was like at the college level. Overall, the trajectory of the program is on the rise and I’m thankful for my time in Coeur d’Alene.” 

Covill has been assisted all four seasons by Louie Vargas, who was a men’s assistant for one year before that. Vargas was named interim coach on Friday afternoon. 

“A big thank you to my assistant Louie,” Covill said. “He absolutely made my job easier and put in long hours as a loyal assistant and friend.” 

"Nate Covill made a lasting impact on our women's basketball program and brought a genuine commitment to developing young women, both on and off the court," NIC athletic director Shawn Noel said in a school release. "He helped guide our program through the transition from the Northwest Athletic Conference to the National Junior College Athletic Association, a process that required great adaptability, and Nate handled it with poise while keeping the focus on the student-athlete experience. I appreciate everything he has done for North Idaho College and wish him the very best moving forward.”

NIC had seven freshmen on its roster, with four sophomores set to graduate. 

“I was really excited about this group coming back,” Covill said. “I’m still cheering for this group. It was just a financial decision that took me away.”

IT’S EARLY,  but the potential is there for a strong finish for some at the state track and field meet. 

Yeah, I know, we’ve got a long way to go first. 

In Wednesday’s dual at Post Falls High, which featured Lakeland, Coeur d’Alene and the host Trojans, the meet came down to the final event on the girls side, with the Hawks edging the Vikings for the team title. 

The school’s 4x400-meter relay team of sophomore Kapree Kiefer, freshman Tessa Lovell, junior Sapphire Ruelle and senior Karstyn Kiefer won the race in 4 minutes, 11.97 seconds. Ruelle won the state 5A title in the 100- and 200-meter dash last year at Mountain View High in Meridian. 

“I think they’ve still got a ways to go, but our surprise so far has been Tessa,” second-year Lakeland track and field coach Tim Kiefer said. “She’s just a freshman and she runs like she’s mad at the ground. Both Sapphire and her ran good splits, and are running like they’re in midseason form.” 

Most are multi-sport athletes. 

“It’s really good to see so many kids out,” Kiefer said. “As coaches, we wanted the kids to do a lot of different activities. We’ve got to work around some club sports sometimes, but for the most part, we’ve got a lot of those kids that are two- or three-sport athletes out and competing.” 

And it’s not just the relays where Lakeland has found some depth, at least early on. 

“We’re really balanced in a lot of different events,” Kiefer said. “And we haven’t always had that, and it’s nice to see that we’ve got someone in each spot. Our numbers are up a little bit and we’re trying to recruit more kids from other sports and get that message across to other coaches to get them out for track and we’ll make them stronger and faster.” 

Jason Elliott is a sports writer for The Press. He can be reached by telephone at 208-664-8176, Ext. 1206 or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on 'X', formerly Twitter @JECdAPress.

    Nathan Covill