College of Idaho men’s basketball coach Scott Garson has announced his staff for the upcoming 2014-15 season, including new assistant coach, Colby Blaine.
Blaine will be joined by returning assistants Jeff Lavender and B.J. Humphreys to make up the four-man staff.
Former assistant coach, Garry Matlock, retired earlier this month after a long and distinguished coaching career, while another assistant, Ben Tucker, has been named the Assistant Director of Basketball Operations at the University of Arizona.
Blaine heads to the C of I after five seasons as an assistant at the College of Southern Idaho, where he helped the Golden Eagles to three Region 18 titles and the 2011 NJCAA National Championship. Working under coaches Steve Gosar and Jeremy Cox, he helped over 30 players move on to NCAA Division I scholarships and compiled a 137-33 overall record at CSI.
"Colby Blaine brings a wealth of knowledge at the college level having been at CSI the last five years," Garson said. "He has worked with some of the top junior college talent in the country and has recruited some of the top high school talent in the country. I believe he will add a great dimension to our program both on the court and on the road recruiting."
Lavender returns for his second season after spending nearly two decades as a prep coach in California, while Humphreys, a C of I grad, also returns for his second year after time coaching in the Idaho high school ranks.
"We are excited that both Jeff Lavender and B.J. Humphreys will be returning for a second year on our bench," Garson said. "Jeff has been a friend and mentor to me for almost 20 years, having been my first boss at Santa Barbara High School. B.J. did a tremendous job in his first season at the college level and he brings a unique perspective in that he walked in the same shoes as our players having been a Yote basketball player."
Matlock retired in June after 48 years in the coaching ranks – including stops at Northwest Nazarene, Rocky Mountain College, and Boise State. He came to C of I in 2000 as an assistant for the head coach Mark Owen and also served as head golf coach for a decade.
"What Coach Matlock brought to our program last season can’t be fairly calculated," Garson said. "As much as I appreciated his experience and his wisdom as an assistant coach, I believe our players would tell you that they appreciated playing for him as much or more. The good news is that he won’t be going very far and he and Pam will be in the stands cheering us on throughout season."
Tucker resigned in June to return to his alma mater to work under head coach Sean Miller. He will oversee Arizona’s video scouting efforts and will supervise the academic progress of the basketball program.
"We are all extremely excited for Ben’s opportunity at the University of Arizona," Garson said. "Being an Arizona grad makes it more special for him, but I know it was an extremely difficult decision because of the great experience he had here at the C of I. We wish him nothing but the very best."
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