After going 9-22 last season, the Vandals came into this season aiming higher. In order to reach new heights, Idaho needed some help. Head coach Zac Claus began by hiring assistant coach Jeremy Harden, former head coach at Wenatchee Valley College.
After securing Harden, Claus got to work on the transfer portal. The Vandals landed impact players Isaac Jones, who followed Harden from Wenatchee Valley, and Divant’e Moffitt from Seattle Pacific University. The last impact transfer was redshirt sophomore forward Terren Frank from the University of Vanderbilt.
Claus and the staff also landed key recruits Nigel Burris and Dominique Ford, who played meaningful minutes for the Vandals this season. Burris was named Big Sky Freshman of the Year and added his name to the transfer portal on April 4.
The regular season began with a loss to the University of Denver, followed by four wins over Division 1 opponents. The Vandals also had dominant wins over Walla Walla and Northwest Indian College. Idaho ended non-conference play 6-7 with only one double-digit loss. However, one of the Vandals’ biggest losses came six games into the season after Frank had a season-ending foot injury.
With students on winter break, conference play began with a road trip to Montana. The Vandals lost to both the University of Montana and Montana State, beginning a seven-game losing streak. After suffering a 21-point loss to Eastern Washington, the Vandals returned home to take on the Bobcats. This time around, Idaho won 74-70 in a huge confidence booster.
Despite the massive win, the Vandals’ season did not get any better. They lost nine of their last 13 games and ended the season on a five-game losing streak. That fifth game was a 68-53 loss at home against Montana. After the game, Athletic Director Terry Gawlik announced that Zac Claus was relieved of his head coach duties and assistant coach Tim Marrion would be the interim head coach for the tournament.
The Vandals were the last seed in the tournament which led to them facing ninth-ranked seed Northern Arizona University in the first round. Even though the Vandals played hard, it was all for naught as they lost to NAU 87-76. The Vandals ended their season 10-22 overall, 4-14 in conference and without a head coach.
Two weeks after their loss to Northern Arizona, the Vandals gained a new leader. Idaho had a ton of interest and interviews, but ultimately decided on Seattle University associate head coach Alex Pribble.
On March 20, Coach Pribble was announced as Idaho’s head coach at his introductory press conference. He became UI’s 31st men’s basketball coach in history.
“It’s such an honor and a privilege to be the next head basketball coach at the University of Idaho,” Pribble said.
Pribble has experience in turning struggling programs around. Before his time at Seattle U, he was the head coach at Saint Martin’s University. Before Pribble took over, Saint Martins was 6-22. Just four years after he took over, the Warriors went all the way to the Division 2 Sweet 16 before falling to Point Loma.
Pribble brings a fresh new perspective to a struggling Vandal team in need of a reset. The 2022-23 season may not have ended how the Vandals would have liked, but there is a sense of optimism with the Pribble process beginning in Moscow.
Jayden Barfuss can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @JaydenBarfuss10