Jared Phay leaves NIC basketball for College of Southern Idaho

Jared Phay is leaving North Idaho College to become the new men’s basketball coach at College of Southern Idaho.

Phay has been NIC’s head coach for 10 seasons, guiding the program to Scenic West Athletic Conference titles in 2006, 2009 and 2010. Phay’s 2009-10 teams combined to win 54 games. He’s been honored as SWAC coach of the year three times and his 2010-11 team reached a No. 1 ranking for the first time in program history.

“We’ll miss Coach Phay more than you can imagine,” NIC athletic director Al Williams said in a release. “Jared was more than our head coach, he’s family. I wish Jared all the best. He’ll always be a Cardinal to us.”

Phay will be introduced as CSI’s coach at a press conference at noon today in Twin Falls. Phay, New Mexico junior college coach James Miller and Norm Parrish, an assistant at Utah and former Salt Lake CC head coach, were finalists, according to hoopdirt.com.

Phay replaces Jeremy Cox, who resigned last month after coaching one season. CSI was 27-5 last season and Cox was voted SWAC coach of the year. Phay will be CSI’s third new head coach in three years.

NIC and CSI are long-time rivals but that rivalry will end in the near future. NIC Board of Trustees voted last month to move athletic programs into the NWAACC. Men’s basketball is scheduled to play two more seasons in the SWAC before joining the NWAACC.

Williams said the search for Phay’s replacement will begin immediately. One name expected to be high on the list of candidates is Corey Symons, an assistant for 10 seasons under Phay.

Phay was a Cardinals assistant coach for two seasons before replacing Hugh Watson as head coach. The Post Falls native and NIC graduate also served as head coach at Falls Christian Academy in Post Falls and was a graduate assistant at Idaho under Dave Farrar.