Idaho men’s basketball adds Doug Novsek as assistant; Kirk Earlywine no longer with team

MOSCOW, Idaho – The University of Idaho fired men’s basketball coach Don Verlin in June and replaced him with interim head coach Zac Claus.

Now the men’s basketball staff is undergoing further transition. Doug Novsek, whose career includes a season as a quality control consultant with Southern Illinois, three seasons before that as an assistant coach at the University of Evansville and nine seasons as an assistant at the University of Nevada – including six as an associate head coach – is joining the Vandals as an assistant coach for next season.

“We are incredibly fortunate to add someone with the level of talent and wealth of experience that Doug Will bring to our program,” Claus said when Novsek’s hiring was announced in August.

Kirk Earlywine, who had been at Idaho since 2012 as the team’s director of player development and subsequently as an assistant coach and defensive specialist, has been placed on administrative leave.

Joe St. Pierre, associate director of media relations, confirmed Earlywine’s departure from the program. The administrative leave is open-ended, according to St. Pierre. The provisions of Earlywine’s exit include a contract buyout with the proviso that for the length of the contract Earlywine be available to resume his duties as an assistant coach if the need arises. St. Pierre said that was standard practice.

“In any administrative leave, regardless of the situation, he has to be able to be present,” St. Pierre said.

Before coming to Idaho, Earlywine was the head coach at Eastern Washington University from 2007-2011.