Three candidates will visit campus this weekThe next head women's basketball coach at Northwest College could be the program's career scoring leader. Or it could be the person selected to coach the West team in the first-ever McDonald's High School All-American girls' basketball contest. Or it could be an established Region IX coach who led his team to 21 wins this past season. Ultimately, according to NWC athletic director Jim Zeigler, it will be the person who the search committee feels is the best fit for the Trappers' program. A national search that initially attracted 82 applicants has been pared down to three candidates. Each will visit the NWC campus this week as the next step in the hiring process. Included in those visits will be a block of time from 2:30-4 p.m. in Cabre Gym where the candidates will conduct a coaching demonstration with members of the Trappers women's basketball team. Those demonstrations will be open to members of the public, who are also invited to leave feedback about the candidates. “With 82 applications for the position, we were in the enviable position of being able to narrow down our finalist list to just the cream of the crop,” said Zeigler. “Our search committee has come up with three very different candidates. Each one brings their own individual and very special strength.”David Houle, from American Fork, Utah, is visiting campus today (Tuesday). Houle has been called the “most winning high school coach in American history” by the USA Today newspaper for a career that has seen him rack up 68 state titles in five sports — women's basketball, men and women's cross country and men and women's track. As a high school coach, Houle's team had a phenomenal run of eight state titles over an 11-year period. He was selected to coach the USA Women's Basketball Team in a contest against Beijing, China, in 2002. That same year, he was also selected as the West team coach for the first-ever McDonald's High School All-American girls' basketball contest and was named the National High School Basketball Coach of the Year. Houle currently coaches select high-school age basketball players from across the state of Utah on an elite club team that competes nationally. He holds a bachelor's degree in physical education with a minor in economics from Southern Utah State College. Lindsay Woolley, a more familiar face to followers of NWC athletics, will visit the campus on Wednesday. Woolley served as the head coach of the Miles Community College women's basketball program this last season, guiding the team to a 21-7 overall mark. He also serves as an assistant to the men's basketball program at MCC. “Lindsay is our only finalist with Region IX head coaching experience,” said Zeigler. “Before stepping up to head coach, he was the MCC Lady Pioneers' assistant coach and he still serves as assistant coach for the men's team. The combined experience gives him a familiarity with the ins and outs of recruiting and coaching in the Rocky Mountain region.”In addition to a bachelor's degree in mathematics with secondary education certification from the University of Montana, Woolley is pursuing a master's degree in human performance and physical education through Adams State College. The third finalist for Northwest College's head coaching job probably requires no introduction to many in these parts. Janis Beal, a Lovell native, graduated with honors from NWC in 2003 before transferring to Southern Utah University to earn a bachelor's degree in physical education with coaching emphasis and a health education minor. She also holds a master's degree in human movement spot-conditioning from A.T. Still University. “She's the leading scorer for the Trappers and, I believe, is also the school's career assist leader,” said Zeigler. “She was an outstanding student — a 4.0 student — while she was here as well.”Since graduating from Southern Utah, Beal has served as an assistant coach at Eastern Washington University from 2005-2007. She served as an assistant coach at Snow College this past season. “Janis cut her teeth in college athletics at Northwest,” said Zeigler. “Her list of accomplishments and all-team awards as a Trapper reads like a who's who in college basketball. Beyond her potential coaching abilities, she has already been a role model for NWC student-athletes.”Beal will visit campus on Thursday. “These are three distinctively different styles of coaches,” said Zeigler. “You have the most winning high school coach in the nation, a coach who has already been successful at the college level in our region, and a person who I feel ultimately will be a star as a head coach. I'm excited to see each of them on campus and watch how they interact and communicate the game of basketball with members of the women's basketball team.“It says a lot about the direction of Northwest College athletics to be able to get candidates of this quality,” Zeigler noted. “A lot of people have had a hand in making this an attractive position. By attractive, I mean a place where you can come as a coach, you can do your job and you can win.”Zeigler noted the hiring committee will reconvene on Friday morning to discuss candidates' on-campus visits and feedback received from players and the public. “Hopefully at that meeting we'll be able to arrive at a recommendation and then I will immediately forward that recommendation to the college president,” said Zeigler. “If possible, I'd like to be able to offer the job that day to give the candidate the opportunity to think about it over the weekend. I'm hoping we can make an announcement on the following Monday.”

Three candidates will visit campus this week

The next head women's basketball coach at Northwest College could be the program's career scoring leader. Or it could be the person selected to coach the West team in the first-ever McDonald's High School All-American girls' basketball contest. Or it could be an established Region IX coach who led his team to 21 wins this past season.

Ultimately, according to NWC athletic director Jim Zeigler, it will be the person who the search committee feels is the best fit for the Trappers' program.

A national search that initially attracted 82 applicants has been pared down to three candidates. Each will visit the NWC campus this week as the next step in the hiring process. Included in those visits will be a block of time from 2:30-4 p.m. in Cabre Gym where the candidates will conduct a coaching demonstration with members of the Trappers women's basketball team.

Those demonstrations will be open to members of the public, who are also invited to leave feedback about the candidates.

“With 82 applications for the position, we were in the enviable position of being able to narrow down our finalist list to just the cream of the crop,” said Zeigler. “Our search committee has come up with three very different candidates. Each one brings their own individual and very special strength.”

David Houle, from American Fork, Utah, is visiting campus today (Tuesday). Houle has been called the “most winning high school coach in American history” by the USA Today newspaper for a career that has seen him rack up 68 state titles in five sports — women's basketball, men and women's cross country and men and women's track.

As a high school coach, Houle's team had a phenomenal run of eight state titles over an 11-year period. He was selected to coach the USA Women's Basketball Team in a contest against Beijing, China, in 2002. That same year, he was also selected as the West team coach for the first-ever McDonald's High School All-American girls' basketball contest and was named the National High School Basketball Coach of the Year.

Houle currently coaches select high-school age basketball players from across the state of Utah on an elite club team that competes nationally. He holds a bachelor's degree in physical education with a minor in economics from Southern Utah State College.

Lindsay Woolley, a more familiar face to followers of NWC athletics, will visit the campus on Wednesday. Woolley served as the head coach of the Miles Community College women's basketball program this last season, guiding the team to a 21-7 overall mark. He also serves as an assistant to the men's basketball program at MCC.

“Lindsay is our only finalist with Region IX head coaching experience,” said Zeigler. “Before stepping up to head coach, he was the MCC Lady Pioneers' assistant coach and he still serves as assistant coach for the men's team. The combined experience gives him a familiarity with the ins and outs of recruiting and coaching in the Rocky Mountain region.”

In addition to a bachelor's degree in mathematics with secondary education certification from the University of Montana, Woolley is pursuing a master's degree in human performance and physical education through Adams State College.

The third finalist for Northwest College's head coaching job probably requires no introduction to many in these parts.

Janis Beal, a Lovell native, graduated with honors from NWC in 2003 before transferring to Southern Utah University to earn a bachelor's degree in physical education with coaching emphasis and a health education minor. She also holds a master's degree in human movement spot-conditioning from A.T. Still University.

“She's the leading scorer for the Trappers and, I believe, is also the school's career assist leader,” said Zeigler. “She was an outstanding student — a 4.0 student — while she was here as well.”

Since graduating from Southern Utah, Beal has served as an assistant coach at Eastern Washington University from 2005-2007. She served as an assistant coach at Snow College this past season.

“Janis cut her teeth in college athletics at Northwest,” said Zeigler. “Her list of accomplishments and all-team awards as a Trapper reads like a who's who in college basketball. Beyond her potential coaching abilities, she has already been a role model for NWC student-athletes.”

Beal will visit campus on Thursday.

“These are three distinctively different styles of coaches,” said Zeigler. “You have the most winning high school coach in the nation, a coach who has already been successful at the college level in our region, and a person who I feel ultimately will be a star as a head coach. I'm excited to see each of them on campus and watch how they interact and communicate the game of basketball with members of the women's basketball team.

“It says a lot about the direction of Northwest College athletics to be able to get candidates of this quality,” Zeigler noted.

“A lot of people have had a hand in making this an attractive position. By attractive, I mean a place where you can come as a coach, you can do your job and you can win.”

Zeigler noted the hiring committee will reconvene on Friday morning to discuss candidates' on-campus visits and feedback received from players and the public.

“Hopefully at that meeting we'll be able to arrive at a recommendation and then I will immediately forward that recommendation to the college president,” said Zeigler. “If possible, I'd like to be able to offer the job that day to give the candidate the opportunity to think about it over the weekend. I'm hoping we can make an announcement on the following Monday.”