I mentioned this move earlier today in the DAILY DIRT. It’s now official…here’s the release from Idaho State on the hiring of Cam Flabel as an assistant basketball coach:
Idaho State men’s basketball Head Coach Ryan Looney has announced the addition of Cam Flabel to the Bengals’ coaching staff, as Flabel joins the program as an assistant coach.
Flabel, an Idaho State alum and Boise, Idaho native, returns to Pocatello after spending the last five seasons with the Hawai’i Pacific University men’s basketball program, including the last two as Associate Head Coach.
“Cam is a great addition to our staff,” Looney said. “His passion and energy are contagious. Cam has gotten great experience the past five years. He is an ISU alum… We are bringing one of our own back.”
Flabel’s return marks a full-circle moment for the former Bengal student manager, who earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from Idaho State before continuing his coaching career at Hawai’i Pacific.
“Going from Pocatello to Hawai’i and now back home to Idaho State makes this a truly special, full-circle moment for me,” Flabel said. “As an ISU alum, I’m incredibly grateful to Coach Looney for this opportunity and excited to pour everything I have into a program and community that helped shape me. Go Bengals!”
Flabel comes back to Idaho State following five seasons with the Hawai’i Pacific men’s basketball program. Most recently, he served as Associate Head Coach, a role he held after being promoted in 2024. During the 2025-26 season, the Sharks earned a selection to the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Championship as part of the 64-team national tournament field. HPU was one of 41 at-large selections into the championship bracket.
The Sharks also opened the 2025-26 campaign with a 79-78 exhibition victory over Boise State in front of 10,795 fans at ExtraMile Arena. One of, if not the most impressive wins in their program’s history.
During the 2024-25 season, Flabel helped Hawai’i Pacific rank No. 1 in the PacWest in defensive rebounding. The Sharks also produced several standout defensive performances, including holding Fresno Pacific to 46 points on Feb. 8, 2025, the fewest points allowed in PacWest play in over three years. Two days later, the Sharks were named PacWest Defender of the Week as a team following their dominant defensive stretch.
Flabel also helped Hawai’i Pacific return to postseason contention during the 2023-24 season, as the Sharks finished 18-11 and earned the program’s first PacWest Tournament appearance in seven years. Following the season, Hawai’i Pacific earned the NCAA Division II Runner-Up honor for community engagement and received consecutive PacWest Award of Excellence nominations. Flabel also co-founded the Shark Bite Mentorship Program, connecting Sharks men’s basketball student-athletes with local elementary schools.
Flabel first joined Hawai’i Pacific in 2021 as a graduate assistant before quickly rising through the program and being promoted to Associate Head Coach in 2024.
Before his time at Hawai’i Pacific, Flabel played collegiately at Rocky Mountain College and later served as a student manager with the Idaho State men’s basketball program. He earned his bachelor’s degree in marketing and management from Idaho State and holds a master’s degree in sports management from American Public University.
