Scott Criner didn’t think being a head coach again was in the cards for him.
But when former Rocky Mountain coach Chris Culig took the job at Bishop Kelly last month, his offensive coordinator didn’t see himself following the coach he’s had so much success with over the last decade.
Instead, Criner will take over as the Rocky Mountain head coach, his second stint in that position.
“I just liked some of the aspects that come with being at Rocky,” said Criner. “I like the kids, I really want to be a part of this group and see where they are going to go. I really appreciated Troy Rice, our athletic director, and Dan Lunt, our principal. So, I’m very comfortable with that leadership and I just felt like this was something I wanted to see finished.”
Criner first came to Rocky Mountain in 2013 following five seasons as offensive coordinator at Eagle. It was his second head coaching job, following a stint at Timberline. In four seasons, he went 38-9, leading Rocky Mountain to its first-ever state title in 2015. He left shortly before the 2017 season to take the Athletic Director position at Eagle. But he decided after a year that he preferred being a coach to an athletic director and returned in 2018 as offensive coordinator under Culig, who had been his defensive coordinator for his four years at Rocky Mountain.
The pair also worked together at Timberline and Eagle. The Grizzlies have since won two more state titles, in 2018 and 20.
In fact, in each of the eight years Criner and Culig have been together at Rocky Mountain — Criner took the 2021 season off after being diagnosed with skin cancer — the Grizzlies have advanced at least to the state semifinals.
“One of the things I’m proud about is since 2013 every time Chris and I got on the field together, we got to either the semis or the state championship,” said Criner. “That’s the challenge, can it be done without my right hand, or left had, whichever way you look at it. He was part of me and we’ve had success at Timberline, Eagle and now Rocky. I like the idea of doing it and seeing if I can do it with some other people.”
Criner said he was interviewing for a job in the college ranks, at a school which he declined to identify, when he got a text from Culig informing him he had taken the job at Bishop Kelly. Criner had already been aware Culig was interviewing for that job.
While he was at the interview, Criner — who previously coached at Boise State, the University of Cincinnati and Sacramento State, as well as in the XFL — realized that he didn’t want to put in the hours required of being a coach at the college level again.
Initially, he considered making the move with Culig over to Bishop Kelly, but being on the back end of his career, he couldn’t see himself making the move.
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“I just feel like this is a great way to finish up a career,” Criner said. “I’d like to do that.”
NAMPA HIRES DAVID SANDAU AS COACH
For the second straight year, Nampa has turned to the college ranks to find its new coach.
Nampa Athletic Director Greg Carpenter announced David Sandau as the Bulldogs’ new coach. Sandau comes to Nampa after spending the last two years as offensive coordinator at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College.
A Missoula, Montana native, Sandau said his connection to Nampa was through Ty Thomas, the former Athletic Director who still teaches at the school. Thomas was Sandau’s coach in high school.
“My family and I were looking for the right spot to get back up to the Northwest, and Nampa seemed to be the right fit, overall,” Sandau said.
Sandau takes over for Jon Choate, who stepped down one year after returning to Nampa from the College of Idaho. Choate, who had also coached the Bulldogs from 2012-15, left the program after the season to support his children’s athletic careers.
According to Sandau’s bio on the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M website, the Golden Norsemen were second in rushing in the NJCAA in 2021, running his triple option offense.
“We’re definitely going to have some triple option phases in our offensive scheme,” Sandau said. “Option has been my thing. I don’t think I’ll ever get away from it.”
Sandau also has previous NCAA Division I stints at Montana and Wofford. He was also an assistant at the Naval Academy Prep School, where he helped develop future Navy football players and officers.
According to the Havre (Mont.) Daily News, Sandau interviewed for the Montana State-Northern head coaching position in 2022.
