Looking Back: Top-10 Moments of the Decade (2010-19)

CALDWELL, Idaho - Looking back at the recent decade, the 2010's were an exciting time in Coyote Athletics. New facilities, new athletic programs and unparalleled success in competition and in the classroom were all benchmarks at the College of Idaho.
 
The sports information staff, along with input from C of I coaches, have determined the Top-10 moments from the 2010's.
 
No. 10 – The Emergence of Coyote Lacrosse
 
C of I began a club men's lacrosse team in 2004 and struggled from the outset – winning just seven games during those first six years. In 2010, former player Matt Gier took over as head coach and slowly built the team into a playoff contender – finishing 4-4 in 2013 and logging their first-ever winning season in 2014, going 5-4. A year later, C of I landed their biggest recruit to date – Nich Guzzetti – with the attackman rewriting the record books while earning four MCLA All-America honors (ending his career with 201 goals and 87 assists). The Yotes reached the PNCLL semifinals in 2015 and reached the title game in 2017 – the same season the program was moved from club to varsity status. In 2018, C of I won an overtime thriller vs. the University of Montana to claim their first league title and trip to the MCLA Championships, while in 2019, the Yotes opened the season 14-0 – claiming their second-straight league title and defeating both Northern Arizona and Grand Valley State at the MCLA Championships, ending the year ranked No. 5 in the MCLA Top-25 Poll.
 
No. 9 – End of a 36-year Era
 
Many say that if it wasn't for Marty Holly's basketball teams in the 1980's and 90's, the College may not be around today. The legacy that Holly built from 1981 to 2016 as athletic director is second-to-none – growing the athletic program from four sports to 20 – while winning countless district, conference and the 1996 NAIA Division II national title as men's basketball coach. His work in fundraising during the decade helped C of I teams improve across the board, while his work on the newest campus building – which was named after the legend in 2014 (Marty Holly Athletic Center) – helped usher in the new era of Coyote Athletics. After 36 years at the helm, Holly handed off the athletic reins to Reagan Rossi in July of 2016, with Rossi strengthening the program as a whole and positioning Coyote Athletics for a great run in the 2020's.
 
No. 8 – Opening Round Magic (Part 1)
 
Beginning in 2009, the NAIA changed the postseason qualification process for baseball – forcing teams to win not only a conference tournament, but also a 5-team Opening Round (regional) tournament, to make their way to the NAIA World Series. C of I made four Opening Round appearances in the decade – finishing fourth in tournaments in 2010 (Riverside, Calif.), 2016 (Santa Barbara, Calif.) and 2017 (Oklahoma City) – but it was the 2012 Coyote squad that found their way to Lewiston and the World Series. Paced by first-team All-American and future Chicago Cubs draft pick Izaac Garsez and pitching ace Taylor Nicholson, the Yotes placed second in the NAIA West Tournament and earned an at-large bid to the NAIA Opening Round – where Nicholson dominated Shorter (Ga.) in the opener and Todd Griffiths spun a 5-hit shutout to push the Yotes to the championship game. Host Azusa Pacific would top C of I in the first title game, but the Yotes earned a walk-off win, as Tanner Hodges scored on a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the ninth to send the Purple and Gold to the World Series for the first time since 2003. The baseball program also saw Phase 2 of the Wolfe Field Stadium project finished in 2017, with the addition of a press box and 1,000 stadium seats.
 
No. 7 – Opening Round Magic (Part 2)
 
The same can be said about the qualification process in softball – as the Coyotes must work through a conference and Opening Round tournament to reach the NAIA Softball World Series – a place they visited in 2008 and 2009. Twice (2013 in Irvine, Calif. and 2019 in Hattiesburg, Miss.) in the decade, C of I was stymied in the Opening Round title game – but in 2014, the Coyotes had a magical run. The Yotes earned a host-bid for the Opening Round, with rival Oregon Tech, Cal State-San Marcos and Dickinson State traveling to Caldwell for a 3-day tourney. Things started as bad as they could for the hosts, as OIT run-ruled the Coyotes, 10-0, knocking Cascade Conference Pitcher of the Year and All-American Nickayla Skinner out of the game. Following the loss, Skinner (who finished her career with 83 wins and 913 strikeouts)  took the team on her back – fanning seven in a win over DSU; striking out eight in a run-rule win over No. 5 CSUSM, before earning revenge against Tech – besting the Owls 2-1 and 10-0 in the winner-take-all title game to send the club to Columbus, Ga. Skinner continued to dominate at the World Series – losing a 1-0, 9-inning decision to Lindsey Wilson in the opener (a game she took a perfect game into the eighth inning and struck out 15 batters), before tossing a 4-hit shutout to beat No. 4 Olivet Nazarene, 3-0, and spinning a 3-hit shutout to eliminate No. 2 LSU-Alexandria, 1-0, helping the team finish fifth overall.
 
No. 6 – Unbeatable in the Activities Center
 
Coyote Basketball has been dominant at home since the J.A. Albertson Activities Center opened in 1991 – heading into 2020 with a 310-94 all-time record in the building. Part of that success was midway through the decade, as the Yotes rattled off consecutive 17-0 home seasons in 2013-14 and 2014-15, eventually running the mark to 37-straight games before a loss to perennial Division II power, Metro State. Included in the streak were two wins against rival Northwest Nazarene; an overtime win over Westminster that featured a banked-in 3-pointer from Demetrius Perkins at the buzzer, to force the extra session; Jordan O'Byrne canning a 3-pointer with 3 seconds left to defeat Warner Pacific; along with back-to-back Cascade Conference titles. During the run, the Coyotes averaged over 1,400 fans per game and have ranked among the Top-2 in NAIA attendance each of the past six seasons. Since 1981 – the Yotes have a remarkable 430-104 record on their home floor.
 
No. 5 – Football Sets Win Streak Record, Wins Frontier Title
 
Things were not looking good for the Coyote Football team midway through the 2018 season – the team had opened the year 0-5 – including a 42-41 home loss to eventual conference champ, Rocky Mountain. Following a bye week, C of I turned the corner, dominating Carroll College, 28-7, for a Homecoming win – before a daunting schedule that featured 4-straight games vs. Top-25 teams. The roll ensued, winning in overtime for the first-ever victory at Montana Tech, sweeping home dates against Southern Oregon and Eastern Oregon, while rallying for a road win at Montana Western. The 6-game win streak was the longest since 1953 – when the team won 14-in-a-row – which soon went by the wayside. The preseason favorites in the Frontier Conference ran roughshod on its opponents in 2019 – routing Eastern Oregon 48-12, winning at Rocky (42-0), at Carroll (47-14) and at Southern Oregon (42-14), with its toughest test, a 16-14 home win over Montana Tech where Kyle Mitchell kicked a game-winning, 58-yard field goal as time expired. C of I went a perfect 10-0 in league play, extending the win streak to 17 games with a 70-23 victory over Ottawa Arizona in the first-round of the NAIA Football Championship Series, before a loss in the Midwest to Grand View (Iowa) ended the run (much like the 14-12 loss to Sam Houston State in 1953 in Evansville, Ind., ended the previous run). Darius-James Peterson was named FC Offensive Player of the Year and was joined on the All-America team by lineman Josh Brown and Mitchell.
 
No. 4 - Volleyball Rules the Cascade
 
The C of I volleyball team started an amazing run in 2005, qualifying for four NAIA Tournaments and winning four Cascade Conference titles. The string continued into the 2010s – as the Yotes dominated the league, posting a combined 66-6 record over a four-year stretch, winning the 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013 league crowns. The dominance carried over to the postseason – as C of I rattled off 4-straight CCC Tournament titles from 2012-15 – including twice defeating rival Eastern Oregon on their home floor. During the decade, the Yotes made eight trips to the NAIA Championships, including seven trips to the final site in Sioux City Iowa – advancing to bracket play five times and making appearances in the national quarterfinals in 2011 and 2017. Current assistant Whitney Brigham became the first-ever libero to earn CCC Player of the Year and earn first-team NAIA All-America honors, one of three C of I players (Kylie Porter – 2015, Marija Djonovic – 2017) to earn first-team accolades.
 
No. 3 - Hillary Holt, One of the All-Time Greats
 
There have been amazing athletes for every C of I team during the decade, but at the top of the list is women's cross country / track and field standout, Hillary Holt. The Treasure Valley native finished an illustrious career in 2014 with 17 NAIA All-America honors, nine individual NAIA national championships and anchored a pair of relay teams to NAIA gold medals. Head coach Pat McCurry developed Holt into one of the top middle-distance runners in America – as she won the 2012 and 2013 NAIA Cross Country national titles, helping C of I record back-to-back national runner-up finishes. She won three-straight outdoor 1,500-meter and two-straight indoor mile titles and stunned a deep field in the 1,500-meters by winning the 2013 Oregon Relays with a time of 4:11.62 – the fastest time in NAIA history and the top time ever by a runner in the State of Idaho. Holt represented the College in the 2013 USA Track and Field National Championships, reaching the finals of the 1,500-meters, where she placed 12th. She helped the Yotes win the 2011, 2012 and 2013 CCC titles and helped C of I win the 2013 and 2014 CCC titles, starting a string of 6-straight conference titles by the Coyotes.
 
No. 2 - Hiring of Scott Garson
 
The C of I men's basketball program has a long legacy of success, dating back to the days of Elgin Baylor and R.C. Owens in the 1950s, but from 2007-13, the Yotes went a combined 0-7 in postseason games and had just two winning seasons. Enter former UCLA assistant coach Scott Garson, who was hired in the Spring of 2013 – giving the program a huge shot in the arm. The first-time head coach immediately turned the program around – using a great mix of junior transfers and Idaho products. Garson posted a 28-6 record his first season – reaching No. 2 in the Top-25 poll, winning the CCC regular-season and tournament titles, while in 2014-15, won both titles and took the Yotes to the NAIA national quarterfinals. His 2016-17 team reached the second-round of the NAIA Championships, while the 2017-18 team finished 30-7, advancing to the national semifinals. In five seasons, Garson posted a 129-42 all-time record, with his .735 winning percentage the highest of any C of I coach in program history, while attendance at C of I doubled during his tenure – as the California native was instrumental in the development of the YoteFam, increasing school spirit on campus. The 2015 Red Auerbach National Coach of the Year coached six NAIA All-Americans, 17 All-CCC picks and 13 Academic All-CCC picks.
 
No. 1 - The Return of Coyote Football
 
Following the 1977-78 academic year, the College announced that it was eliminating all intercollegiate sports outside of men's and women's basketball, women's volleyball and the men's and women's ski programs. Football was one of the sports that got the axe – and over the next three decades, influential alumni worked hard to try to bring the sport back into the fold – with no success. In 2011, C of I president Dr. Marv Henberg, along with athletic director, Marty Holly, studied the impact on student life, alumni engagement, revenue and community relations and engaged members of the student body, alumni, staff and friends of the College in the eventual decision made by the Board of Trustees in May of 2012. Head coach Mike Moroski was hired early in 2013 and held a unique "zero year" program, with 35 student-athletes practicing for a full year without playing a game – all while Simplot Stadium was renovated with artificial turf, reserved seating and a state-of-the-art scoreboard. The team made a triumphant return to the gridiron in 2014 – winning their opener at Pacific, 35-34, along with their home opener, 31-28, over Montana Western. The Yotes averaged over 4,500 fans during the 2014 season and have finished among the Top-3 in NAIA attendance each of the past six seasons – with the team now boasting well over 110 members and recording 3-straight winning seasons. The community has rallied around Coyote Football – with the Go Purple club, the City of Caldwell, the Caldwell Night Rodeo and local service clubs all key in the success.